I’ve been spending every spare moment (hear me chuckle at the idea of one of those) editing the first novel in my series so that I can get it back to the publisher. This is so they can get it back to me and I can get it back to them and they can get it out to you. What could be simpler?
Much has been going on with our household lately and I find myself dealing with a greater degree of stress than I’d prefer. As I’ve often let you know, I’m a great fan of P. G. Wodehouse. No, make that an absolute addict. He is my literary idol. Although I do read many other books, I daresay that if you found yourself in a wager and had to guess what might be found on this writer’s nightstand at any given moment, it would be a Wodehouse. It would likely be one I’ve already read multiple times. His brand of humor just makes my day and since laughter is the best medicine I turn to him especially in times of stress. To enter his wonderful world of enjoyable characters and bathe myself in his ability to turn a phrase washes the day’s troubles away and gives me a reset.
Smuffy has an author who does the same for him. He’s able to re-align and de-stress within the pages of Gladys Taber. That might seem out of character for Smuffy, but if you’ve followed him on my Life with Smuffy page, surely you’ll be able to see how a writer who moves into a centuries-old New England farmhouse and chronicles her existence in a place where nothing much every really happens would be a stress-reducer for someone who manages to find himself in as many scrapes as Smuffy does.
Not too long ago, a dear friend of mine who also loves to read old books introduced me to Miss Read and I’ve had time now to read a couple of her books. I find delightful peace within the pages. I’ve just finished “Thrush Green”. It’s a short read and melts the world away.
As I’ve been acclimating myself to the publishing world for the last several years, I am so often told that the modern reader craves instant action, strong characters, twisting plots and, if at all possible, some kind of bomb going off on page two of the manuscript. I’m not opposed to it. In fact, my novel series will make you laugh, make you cry and yank you around in spots. I find, however, that as a lover of old books, I don’t always need that. Sometimes I just need a peaceful escape.
If you’d like to take a break from your stress, I’d recommend a visit to the quiet English village in “Thrush Green”. The story, set in the 1950’s, takes place on the first day of May as a one-day fair comes to delight most of the townspeople and aggravate a few of them. In that 24 hours, you’ll meet the trusted old doctor and his possible replacement. You’ll fill with hope for the girl with the broken heart and cheer on two young lovers as they navigate the hurdles that others place between them. You’ll discover who the scoundrel is and pat the hero on the back and give a few sighs of sadness at the thought that you may be witnessing the end of an era for this quaint village.
All this, yes, as the stress of your own life eases away. What better way to call it a day than to take a vacation to such a place before dropping off to sleep?
So, while you must wait a bit longer to get your hands on my own page-turner, you can check out Miss Read and start with “Thrush Green”, the first in her “Thrush Green” series.
You can find many of the books by this author at great prices here at Thrift Books. I find their deal of free shipping with at fifteen dollar purchase a great buy – just pick up two or three titles at once. And, as always, it’s here on Amazon.
Spring is so revitalizing and healthy for us in body, mind and spirit, but it isn’t quite here yet. Use these remaining chilly days to get in some relaxing reads.
What have you been reading lately? Leave a comment and share a book or books that soothe your soul!
I may need some soothing tomorrow. While we enjoyed 82 degrees today, it will dip to 22 degrees tonight and will fight its way to a mere 40 degrees tomorrow and my calendar says that I’m not allowed to stay in and keep cozy. This is where I live, folks!
Subscribe to my blog if you haven’t already. That’s where all my announcements will be concerning the release of my novel series coming soon!
The focus in February is always on love. Rather than grumble because it gets commercialized, why not be grateful for the reminder? You don’t have to have a “significant other” in order to feel the love or share the love. Look around. Someone in your life needs to feel special and know that you care.
I’d love to make all my readers feel special, but, alas, as there is only one First Friday Freebie, I’ll have to make do with one of you. Let’s take a look at it.
This cross makes a statement about the One who is love. While it will fit in nicely with all your reds and pinks if you decorate for Valentine’s Day, it’s green-on-white color scheme will take you right on into spring and celebrating the Resurrection which, by the way, falls early this year in March. The metal wording gives texture and shine. It measures approximate 8” X 5” and does not have a hanger on the back. However, it is an inch in depth so it is meant to be a shelf sitter without tipping over. I thought many of you would enjoy this great Hobby Lobby find.
To enter to win the Love Cross, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Send me the love!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, February 2nd, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
No one will get to enjoy all the great things here on the blog unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, February 2nd, by leaving a comment which says, “Send me the love!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
One of the great things about a February is that even if you don’t care to keep it for yourself, you can spread the love by presenting it as a thoughtful Valentine to someone you care about. You can be that person who lets them know they are special just when they might be needing to hear it.
Speaking of love, you know I love Smuffy. Have you read each and every episode of my “Life With Smuffy”? I love and sharing those with all of you and filling your lives with joy and laughter.
I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle CoachI do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
I had some excitement today and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
For the back story, I had a birthday several days ago and Pookie asked me what kind of cake or other dessert I’d like to have, but stipulated that since the restaurant they were taking me to for my birthday dinner wouldn’t allow us to bring in our own dessert, we would have to have a separate little birthday celebration just for that. Well, I’m all for celebrating twice so that was fine with me. Then, as is the way with things, stuff happened and then more stuff happened and Birthday 2.0 seemed to get bumped and bumped and bumped some more and I finally received my delicious treat today.
What did I request, you ask? As you may know, I don’t eat the SAD (standard American diet) stuff. I know, I know, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I ate something hideously bad for me on my birthday, but I’ve learned that it’s not worth it. It makes me feel rotten (now that I know what it’s like to feel good all the time) and then there are additional portions of it in the house for days. After flipping through various Trim Healthy recipes, I suddenly remembered exactly what I wanted and told Pookie to make me the Cake of Wonders.
This recipe, from page 37 of the Trim Healthy Indulgence cookbook seemed to be the talk of social media, the podcast and all over the Trim Healthy community ever since the cookbook came out but I just hadn’t gotten around to making it.
I’m giving it an absolute 5-Star review. Even though Pookie didn’t give it a topping of chocolate drizzle and an arrangement of fresh berries on top as shown in the photo in the cookbook, I don’t see how the taste and texture could be any better. Esther Allison hit the ball out of the park with this recipe. This is fit to serve at any wedding. It is that good!
Yes, I am a Trim Healthy Certified Coach, but no, I am not a retailer of their products. When I recommend this cookbook and this recipe, I am not gaining anything from it but your smiles and happy tummies.
Also, the pie crust recipe in that book is out of this world. I think I’m going to bake one sometime and just eat it by itself! That’s how good it smells while it’s baking. Right now, Esther’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake is featured as a free recipe on the website, so be sure to print that out.
If you do need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, blood sugar control, hormonal balance, etc., head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom pages on Facebook and Mewe and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person as well as details on private coaching in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight safely and sustainably if you need to do that. I know that many people want to steer away from the standard American diet because they know it’s taking a toll on their health, but they just don’t know how to be happy doing it. That’s what I teach.
If you’ve tried Esther’s Cake of Wonders, leave a comment and let me know how you liked it. I’m curious – what is your favorite dessert that you’d miss most if you decided to adopt a healthy eating lifestyle?
And (sigh), as is the way of things, I didn’t get to share my cake with Lil’ Snookie today. More stuff happened. But you know what that means? It means I’ll freeze slabs of it between slips of waxed paper and then we’ll have Birthday 3.0 in a few days. I know how to manage this birthday thing.
It’s time to meet 2024’s first First Friday Freebie winner.
She’s local, so I got to deliver her gift to her in person at a luncheon we were both attending.
Let’s meet –
Carol from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Carol! I hope you enjoy the bracelet set and find all sorts of ways to wear it, either all five pieces at once, one at a time or in various combinations. Carol told me she has an upcoming special event that will be just the right time to accessorize with these pretty bracelets.
Carol had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.
You don’t have to be in my neck of the woods like Carol to be a winner. I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S.
As long as you’re an email subscriber, you can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of each month. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Carol won here.
If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today. Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies enable me to reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Coming up on February 2nd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, February 2nd, 2024.
We’re heading not only for the next Freebie, but for the month of love. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to trade snowflakes in for red and pink hearts. January around here was difficult to love in certain spots. If you’re needing a mid-winter boost, try this quick read: The Underused Four-letter Word.
And so it goes on – winter. The cold and snow can keep you homebound. Gray skies, when they don’t get the memo that enough is enough, can make you gloomy. Christmas is over and sparkly decorations are put away. Every other week it seems some new strain of crud is going around and doing its best to cancel events or make you wish they were canceled.
Then, those post-holiday bills arrive to remind us once again that next year the spending limit ought to be reduced. Boosted by this bit of cheer, you hop online and print out your tax forms. Since you haven’t filled them out yet, you try to bask in a little ray of sunshine with the optimistic thought that perhaps, this time, Uncle Sam may have caught on to the idea that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Around here, Smuffy has always been the one to see the glass as half empty while I typically view it as half-full. I have to admit, though, that gray days spent with tax forms can take their toll on me. Sometimes, you just need a reminder or a little jolt to alter your outlook. I got one last week.
As is my habit, I watched the Trim Healthy Podcast (affectionately referred to by us THMers as “The Poddy”) on YouTube. Sometimes it’s full of rock-solid science to boost your health and well-being. Sometimes, it’s full of rabbit trails that provide the silliness that you may be lacking in your life and sometimes it provides a level of encouragement that will rock your world.
I love it when there’s science behind encouraging things! Near the beginning of the podcast, Serene shared that studies have shown that in order to create a synapse in the brain where you know a thing – really know it and you’re not going to forget it – it takes 400 repetitions of the information. However, if you are laughing and playing while learning it, the process only requires 12 repetitions! P-L-A-Y is the four-letter word that can change everything. They went on to share many ways their mom incorporated play and ways they feel like they’ve lost their sense of play and want to get it back again.
Just think of it – how many times did you labor over those multiplication tables until they finally got in your head, but then heard some silly TV theme song around that same age only a handful of times, yet you can still sing it word-for-word today? Are you maybe just a bit too grown up for your own good?
Why do you consider cleaning house or preparing meals for your family some type of drudgery when, as a child, you had hours and hours of fun with a toy cooking set and thought it was great when you got your own little broom and dustpan for Christmas or birthday. I think of our Lil’ Snookie and his love affair with all things lawn care. His excitement over toy mowers, leaf blowers and weed eaters knows no bounds and his mommy and daddy will be delighted if this attitude continues for many more years!
Smuffy and I discussed the podcast and agreed that we needed to tackle all the everyday stuff with an attitude of fun and play. It takes a little effort at times. He’s been having his share of issues lately that all seem to revolve around vehicles needing repair and I am in the middle of edits on the first novel in my upcoming series. We’re trying to remind each other that we’re having fun.
Some days you succeed. Some days you don’t. After a mad search through a cupboard the other day that resulted in what sounded like three quarters of the contents landing on the floor, he finally found what he’d been looking for, but looked a bit out of sorts when he came into the room where I sat. I tried to remind him that not only did he find it, but he had fun looking for it. He promptly informed me that he did not have fun looking for it. But we did laugh.
Famous industrial engineer and efficiency expert, Frank Bunker Gilbreath, always thought of innovative ways to help his twelve children learn. The family always rented the same big, old lighthouse for summer vacations and no one really cared whether it was kept pristine. He would write all over the walls in Morse code and tell his children to figure out what the messages said. He would likely have been a frustrated teacher if he had not written such things as, “The candy bar is in the top left desk drawer.” In no time at all his children were challenging themselves to learn the code because they never knew what fun or prize might be in store.
Lil’ Snookie’s presence is a great reminder for us to P-L-A-Y! You can see in the top photo that he’s excited about putting on the apron over his jammies and fixing food for everybody! Give him a watering can and he’ll do his best, even if in reality he’s about a thousand cans short. The middle photo was more of a safari (apologies for quality as I snapped it through the porch screen). He asked if he could go out in the yard because he wanted to find a big stick and look for a lizard hole, after which he would insert the stick and then bend down over the hole and shout, “Hallooooo!” Someday, he may consider that to be frustrating or fruitless, especially if the lizard doesn’t answer, but right now, it’s P-L-A-Y!
I’ve learned to approach cooking healthy meals for my family with a sense of learning, adventure and play. It has made all the difference! Now, I just need to find out how to play with these tax forms.
If it’s snowy, make snow angels or at least watch someone else doing it. Put out some cute decorations for winter or Valentine’s Day, or start making homemade Valentines now. If the day is gloomy, try new soup recipes, play games with the kiddos or watch a funny movie. Call a friend who’s recovering from the crud and spread some cheer. Challenge yourself to cranking out those tax forms with some fun reward when it’s all over.
It’s time for my First Friday Freebie, of course, and I confess I nearly forgot it. Maybe this one will serve as a reminder to both you and me to stop and smell the roses this year.
As I like to say every year here on the blog, I’m in protest about the timing of celebrating the new year. Even though we are having a mild winter so far here in the Midwest (though I may have to scold the meteorologists concerning their loose talk in reference to next Tuesday), I am generally not in favor of having winter at all. Aside from not wanting to deny Lil’ Snookie the joy of building a snowman and throwing himself into the stuff to make angels, I could skip the whole thing. I think we’d all feel so much better if we could run around shouting “Happy New Year” around the third week in March when spring actually arrives, but one of you is going to have to be the one to bring this to the attention of the proper authorities. I’m too busy with edits.
I can, however, have my say in regards to the First Friday Freebie, so here it is!
This set of five bracelets will bring sparkle and shine to your dull winter days. It’s by Trelu Accessories and is great Factory Connection find. All the bracelets are stretch-to-fit and can be worn separately, mix ‘n match or all together. Since all of them are neutral, they’ll go with any of your outfits and work for all seasons.
To enter to win the bracelet set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Brighten my new year!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, January 5th, 2024.
And fellas – you can enter also and gift this to your favorite lady!
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
Haven’t subscribed yet? You’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey! The world needs to know. People have enough news every day to drag them down. Give them something smile about.
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, January 5th, by leaving a comment which says, “Brighten my new year!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Enjoy the season. Play out in the snow if you can. Stay warm and cozy. Read books. One of these days, you’ll be reading mine!
Greetings in this Bright New Year and all my hopes and prayers that yours is one to remember for all the right reasons.
I’ve been overwhelmed lately, as I’m sure many of you have been over the holidays. Add to that some (well, lots) of attention that needed to be given to the publishing of my upcoming novel series and some other exciting things that have to do with the future of my book series and I feel I can safely say that I’m what they officially call frazzled. There’s been no time for chatting with you here recently and that has made me sad. We can, at least, find out who won December’s “surprise” First Friday Freebie.
Let’s meet –
Francine from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Francine! I hope you enjoy and made good use of my hand-made projects. The reason this had to remain a surprise is because I wasn’t finished with them when the First Friday Freebie offer was posted. I told you I was frazzled.
Francine received her First Friday Freebie in plenty of time to put it to good use for its intended purpose. I’m always itching to up-cycle something and when I have time, I pull out the craft supplies and my stash of “saved up stuff” and start making things. This year, Lil’ Snookie and I made lots of homemade Christmas cards, using the pretty fronts I’d saved from cards over the years and adding his creative Nativity artwork (or as he called it, “a barn with statues”) inside along with a Christmas blessing. Having plenty of cards left over, I decided to decorate gift bags! Many of the cards had flocking, lots of glitter or sparkle or metallic enhancements even before I added my own touches.
Each bag has its individual Christmas card on the front which I embellished with crystals and metallic ink. I inserted coordinating tissue and added one of my handmade tags which I also embellished the crystals and metallic ink. After being pleased with my own bags, I decided that a set of five would make a great gift for one of my readers.
I do send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t let your location keep you from entering to win. It seems that though I have many subscribers and followers, a relatively small percentage enter to win. That makes your odds fantastic!
Francine had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Francine won here.
If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today. Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Coming up on January 5th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, January 5th, 2024.
I hope you are beginning this year with bright hopes and high expectations. After all, is there any benefit in going about it any other way?
I love Christmas! Gift-giving is a joy to me and I like keeping secrets until the big day.
Some of my family members are not so much into that. They like to shop off someone’s wish list. While I like to do that also – I find it hard to resist slipping in that one gift they weren’t expecting and hiding things. Since this is my blog and I get to make the rules – I say, “DO NOT OPEN THIS FREEBIE UNTIL CHRISTMAS” (or at least until you win).
On that very first Christmas, the world certainly got something it had long awaited but hardly in the form it had been expecting. Well, let’s keep up that tradition!
Introducing the December First Friday Freebie!
It may come to you in this box and then again, it may not. I’m holding my cards close to my chest. You’ll have to take your chances and enter to win by following the instructions.
To enter to win the surprise Christmas Freebie, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love a Christmas surprise!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, December 1st, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
Freebies are for my email subscribers only. Haven’t subscribed yet? You’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
Bless your friends and family this season by introducing them to Midwest Storyteller through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. You surely know that the world needs a healthier lifestyle, creative ideas and a good laugh! The world needs to know. People have enough news every day to drag them down. Give them something to lift them up.
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, December 1st, by leaving a comment which says, “I love a Christmas surprise!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Enjoy the season. I love this quote from Dr. Caroline Leaf: “This is your reminder to stop stressing to ‘finish the year off strong’ You can finish it off grateful, relaxed, slowly, peacefully. The idea that we always need to ‘be doing’ and ‘achieving’ only creates cycles of anxiety. Rushing will not solve your problems. Rest will.”
I hope this finds you filled with gratitude for all your blessings and ready to bestow them on others during this Christmas season.
I’m excited for you to meet the winner of the most recent First Friday Freebie.
Let’s meet –
Pattie from Morristown, Tennessee!
Congratulations, Pattie! I’ve known Pattie for a long time and am thrilled that she keeps up with my blog and entered to win! Seeing her hold that sign seems so fitting as it’s her way of living life.
Remember that I do send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t be shy. I seem to have many more subscribers than those who enter to win.
Pattie had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Pattie wonhere.
If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today. Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that. I’ve been a little lax lately due to working on edits for my publisher.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Coming up on December 1st, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, December 1st, 2023.
I hope you are entering in to the full joys of the Christmas season. After all, that’s when we received the greatest Gift of all – and it was also free!
I’ll admit it – the world is on fire. We’re seeing and hearing more hate and discontent on the news lately than we’ve seen in a long time and it’s enough to get you down.
It is so important in this time to remember from whence cometh our help and to pause, lift up thanks to the Giver of every perfect gift, be grateful for all the things we do have and pray for those who are suffering.
This month’s First Friday Freebie might help you prepare for this season of Thanksgiving and serve as a reminder that others might wish they were in your shoes.
This hammered metal wall hanging with attached twine for hanging measures approximately 8 inches square. Its “Be Grateful” sentiment is apt for the season and it will fit into any décor. It’s a great find from Hobby Lobby.
To enter to win the “Be Grateful” wall décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m grateful for every good thing in my life!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, November 3rd, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
Haven’t subscribed yet? You’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey! The world needs to know. People have enough news every day to drag them down. Give them something smile about.
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, November 3rd, by leaving a comment which says, “I’m grateful for every good thing in my life!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
We’ve had a nasty little cold snap that felt like a harsh reminder that winter is about to hit the Midwest. Then, things came to their senses and returned to where they ought to be, which is sweater weather. I hope that wherever you are, you can enjoy the glory of the outdoors as long as possible.
It’s time to see who won the most recent First Friday Freebie. I promise I got it to her in plenty of time for decorating throughout the month, even if I am slow in posting this.
Let’s meet –
Shirley from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Shirley! This was my “two-fer”, so I hope you enjoy them both.
Shirley is a repeat winner. She’s learned to enter every single month and that it pays off. Remember that I do send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t be shy. I seem to have many more subscribers than those who enter to win.
Shirley had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention..
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Shirley won here.
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller? Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, will entice you to become one – freebies are for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Just a shameless plug here. When my soon to be released novel comes out (the first in a three part series), it won’t be free. Well…perhaps one special copy might just pop up as a First Friday Freebie? We’ll see!
Coming up on November 3rd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, November 3rd, 2023.
Enjoy the glories of autumn. Like the First Friday Freebie, it is fleeting – it’s not here to stay.
I couldn’t resist. My favorite season is spring, but my favorite season to decorate for is fall! So, when I found myself choosing a First Friday Freebie for you, I couldn’t make up my mind. Take advantage of my indecision today because I got both!
Let’s take a look at them.
The slatted wall hanging on the left measures 13.5” X 9” (not counting the twine hanger) and invites your guests to “Gather Here with Warm Hearts”. The metal section adds some sparkle and shine against the rest of the rustic wooden slats which are all connected with twine, enabling the whole thing to collapse accordion-style for storage. This is great if you have limited space as I do. On the right you’ll see “Leaves are falling – autumn is calling” on a 6” square wooden box that can either perch on a shelf as it is 1.5” deep or hang on the wall.
When I say I was undecided, I really mean it. I started out with three items and ended up falling in love with one and keeping it for myself. Just true confessions here.
To enter to win the “October Two-fer” wall décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Make mine a double, please!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, October 6th, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
Haven’t subscribed yet? You’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
If you’ve missed my recent post, you’ll want to visit my Food Freedom page and get the recipe for “Lime Sillies” which only takes seconds to make.
ANNOUNCING: The September First Friday Freebie went to Ruth in St. Louis, Missouri! Ruth didn’t have a way of getting a photo to me, so if you’d like to see what she won, check it out here. Congratulations, Ruth! I hope this finds a great spot on your wall during “sweater weather”.
Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey! The world needs to know. People have enough news every day to drag them down. Give them something smile about.
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, October 6th, by leaving a comment which says, “Make mine a double, please!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
We’ve been doing a few things to beautify our porch and also screening it in. We’re thinking we may not see much of Phoebe June when she finds out she can get out there and glory in the fresh autumn air. You get out and do the same and remember – October is a gift!
I probably should have passed this one on to you at the beginning of summer so you could enjoy it in the summer months, but since we enjoy it year-round I decided to go ahead and share it now that it has a name.
I’m quite a lot like Anne of Green Gables when it comes to names. I like a little romance or beauty in a name rather than something ordinary. I, like Anne, would never have called it Barry’s Pond when I could’ve re-named it The Lake of Shining Waters and what is a better name for a blooming orchard than The White Way of Delight? It’s like she’s in my head.
I gave up soda a long time ago – decades in fact. After a while, I actually grew to detest the stuff and the way it made me feel. However, I do somehow miss the bubbles and had to content myself with the occasional bottle of sparkling water because I’m way too frugal to drink it all the time.
Then I did some bartering one day with a friend who was doing a rummage sale with me. I traded her some tea tree oil I’d over-bought for a Soda-Stream. We had lots of fun with successes and fails as we tried various additives and blends to flavor the sparkling water we could now just fizz up in our own machine. (There is a cartridge that you trade in when it’s empty so after your initial purchase you pay only half price when you make the swap.)
We found it to be economical. We started our first cartridge around July 4th and didn’t run out of bubbles till the middle of September!
Flavorings seemed to be the sticking point. Smuffy is super picky on taste. I am super picky on healthy add-ins. Some of the ones you buy turn your carbonated water right back into soda!
After a while, I just threw something together one day as a “lime thing” and ended up loving it. Then I started serving it to guests and they liked it, which is good because when they come to my house I don’t stock “junk” drinks.
I knew this was ready to pass on to you when Lil’ Snookie gave it a name. All on his own, when he was still two years old, he began to say that anything with carbonation in it had “sillies” and would ask Pookie, his mama, if he could have sillies in his drink.
Now he’s grown to love my invention and almost every day asks me if he can have “Lime Sillies”.
And there you have it! It needed the perfect name and now it’s ready to share. No free printable necessary for this recipe because this is all you do –
Lime Sillies
1. Pour 1” to 1 ½” inches of Real-Lime or fresh lime juice into the bottom of your glass. (Everyone has a different preference as to how much lime they prefer.)
2. Add a tiny pinch of mineral salt (not the table salt gunk).
3. Add 1 doonk of THM Pure Stevia or any on-plan natural sweetener.
4. Add a couple of drops of pure vanilla extract.
Swirl the glass well or stir the mixture with a spoon before filling the glass with cold, carbonated water. Add ice if you wish.
NOTE: You cannot add the ingredients to the water. You have to add the water to the other ingredients. For some mysterious reason, dropping the sweetener into the carbonation makes the contents of the glass explode all over the counter. Ask me how I know.
Also, with a SodaStream, you must carbonate only plain water. Adding any ingredients to the water prior to pumping in the carbonation will result in more exploding things. Ask me how I know.
There you have it – Lil’ Snookie’s Lime Sillies! Fix a glass and head for the porch on these beautiful autumn days.
I fully disclose that I am a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach and at times receive financial compensation as such.
If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom pages on Facebook and Mewe and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy MamaPlan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight safely and sustainably if you need to do that.
Leave a comment after you sip your Lime Sillies and let me know how you like it. Do you have a carbonation machine of any kind? What are your favorite flavors to add that keep it healthy and make it tasty?
We have arrived. It’s “relief month” here in the sweltering Midwest. September means that there is a chance that perhaps even half of the days this month won’t be those that enable you to fry an egg on the sidewalk in less than a minute. A few of them may even leave your hair without the frizzies. One or two might even get you out of your flip-flops. Today it is a certainty that you can enter to win my First Friday Freebie.
Let’s take a look at it.
I’m a believer in positive confessions, so join me in announcing “Sweater Weather” even if it hasn’t actually made itself felt yet. This round wooden declaration of crisp days to come measures just under 8 inches in diameter. The white inset is metal with cutout lettering and leafy embellishments. It’s just the thing to prop on an easel, tuck into a shelf or hang on the wall using the attached metal hanger or even its twine extender. This is just one of Hobby Lobby’s great fall items.
This time, instead of just getting one for you and wishing I had one just like it, I went ahead and bought an extra for myself. Now I’ll have no regrets when this one leaves my house for yours!
To enter to win the “Sweater Weather” wall décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I can’t wait for sweater weather!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, September 1st, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
Haven’t subscribed yet? You’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
If you’ve missed my recent post, don’t forget to check out the results of Smuffy’s kitchen remodel! We are both glad to have the bulk of that ordeal behind us and I can’t wait for you to see how my design and all Smuffy’s hard work turned out!
Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey! The world needs to know. People have enough news every day to drag them down. Give them something smile about.
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, Septemer 1st, by leaving a comment which says, “I can’t wait for sweater weather!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Enjoy every bit of pleasant weather coming your way. I know I’m going to try. Life for me will fluctuate between getting outdoors to enjoy these days and closeting myself to do final edits on my novel series. More news on that in the days ahead!
This was to be my real “TAH-DAH!” moment, complete with video tour, but for some reason my six-minute video refuses to load to my computer. Others have, but no, not this one. I started to get into my “I’ll conquer this one” mode and then remembered how I am trying to simplify my life after being held hostage by this kitchen for so long and gave up. Photos will have to do.
We are 99% finished with Smuffy’s grand kitchen makeover! It’s been a long, long road – years in fact. I won’t count them because every time I do it makes me cry.
Here are some photos of how things turned out. Due to the lighting, the cabinetry appears at times to be more yellow than it actually is. They are a creamy white with antiquing. Actual paint colors, along with the process are explained in the links below that cover the journey through this whole process, so be sure to click on those to see the “before” photos to appreciate what miracle Smuffy performed and the “during” photos to see what we endured!
I’m sure if you look closely, you’ll see areas in the trim and such that still need a little work. I’m happy to say that most of those are completed now. I just keep telling Smuffy that I’d like to have the final touches all finished before something actually breaks.
This photo is a straight shot of the kitchen through the double archway of the dining room. I wanted a homey look where I could display some of my farmy and shabby family heirlooms without them looking out of place. I think I’ve achieved a look I won’t get tired of anytime soon. The sink base is my design. All the beautiful walnut backsplash is from a tree Smuffy dragged home from the woods and he did the whole thing himself. I chose to add travertine tile down the middle as an accent. I think it’s the highlight of my new kitchen. That, and the furniture-style sink base cabinet which I got to use my artistic talents on. All the cabinets and pull-outs are designed by me and built by Smuffy from scratch and the painting and antiquing is all done by me. Since this photo, the pull-outs you see through the mesh doors have received a dark wood tone so they now “disappear” into the recesses. Did I mention that Smuffy replaced the windows and added all the beautiful framing on them? Yes, he’s pooped. As you can see, Phoebe June is nodding off because this story isn’t about her.
This is a look at the east wall where you can see Smuffy’s custom pantry and the roomy drawers he built. I love this door which is actually a casement window out of an old house that we stumbled across in an antique mall. Smuffy made all the adjustable U-shaped shelves and I wallpapered the inside of the pantry. Getting all the shelves and contents in there just right took me an entire day! The pendant light you see here is my mom’s old milk strainer from down on the farm.
Here’s the west wall with the refrigerator, wall oven and dishwasher. Not many people put their wall oven above their dishwasher, but necessity is the mother of invention, is it not? I almost wore a hole in my graph paper trying to figure out the appliance placement problem. There ended up being a compromise between my grand design and Smuffy’s “do you want me to be 105 when I finish this kitchen?” exclamation and that pitiful puppy dog look in his eyes. At the far end of this west wall is valuable counter space with Phoebe June’s Diner below and cookbook shelving above. This is a fabulous step up considering this area used to be an exit to the side entry of the house, making it unusable as kitchen space. I have the doors closed in the photo, but above the wall oven is a fabulous built-in Smuffy made which has square cubbyholes that can hold rolling pins, bottles, drying mats and such and above those are tall slots for all the cookie sheets and baking pans. Being a tall cook, having all that up there is perfect for me.
Here’s how things look at night when I can turn off the ceiling light (and yes, that is a “fandelier” up there, but somehow it looks way oversized in the photo) and turn on Smuffy’s under-cabinet lights along with the lighted glass upper cabinets. He has those all wired to switches just as he’s done in the pantry so that not only makes the kitchen look really nice at night, but also spotlights the work areas! I must also brag on another of his hand-made pendant lights. I handed him the old pulley from our barn along with my mom’s old colander and showed him a ton of Pinterest pictures. I think they turned out great and I think Mom would approve of both her contributions to lighting. Smuffy also made the walnut shelving you see on each side of the window. On there you can see the little blue metal box which is my mom’s lunch pail from her one-room schoolhouse days. Also on display are my grandma’s butter churn and mom’s old cookie jar. That little mug goes way back also. I remember being so little I could hardly lift it to drink from it.
My kitchen is a working kitchen. Practicing clean eating and being a certified coach with Trim Healthy Mama means daily meals prepared from scratch. The counterspace I gained has made a huge difference and oh! the joys of getting to have a gas cooktop! I also chose a dishwasher with bottle jets and a third rack and am asking myself where this marvel has been all my life. And the refrigerator! I hear a lot of folks complaining about Samsung refrigerators and felt squeamish about getting one, but when I saw this baby with French doors on both top and bottom, the design won me over. Plus, the lower right freezer section is “flex” and a push of the button transforms this from freezer to refrigerator and back again! I said a prayer when I ordered it that God would send me a peach and not a lemon. We purchased it locally so we could have hometown service on it and a good service plan and we’ve been happy with it.
Smuffy does more than just build things. My Life With Smuffypage is loaded with stories that will make you laugh, cause your hair to stand on end and probably bump us up to the top of your prayer list!
Leave a comment! I’d love to know what you think of what our efforts have wrought and hear your thoughts after seeing the “before” and “after” photos. Are you planning a kitchen remodel? What great ideas are cooking in your brain for design and function?
August is fading away, but Midwest Storyteller’s First Friday Freebie winner is just getting started – on Chapter One, that is!
Let’s meet her now –
Vikki from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Vikki! I hope you enjoy your journey through your autographed copy of Diane Yates‘ latest novel, Love’s Fate! Diane tells a good story so be sure to rate and review the book on Amazon. I want to give a special thanks to Diane for donating this copy of her latest release as August’s gift to you!
Lest my readers assume that here at Midwest Storyteller we give away a super-cute babies along with the monthly First Friday Freebie, this is to be be the ignored as media-hype. Neither Diane Yates nor myself would condone such a thing. The baby came attached to the winner and why would anyone disturb such preciousness just to have one’s photo taken. Thank you Vikki for giving us an “Oooh!” peek at the freebie and an “Awww!” peek at that grandbaby.
Vikki had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie offer as directed in the post. I require that little bit of effort on the part of my readers in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer here.
Disappointed that you didn’t win a copy of Love’s Fate? This latest novel and all Diane’s books can be found at dianeyates.com and at iheartpublishing.com which promotes authors with books that hold to traditional values.
Be sure to subscribe to Diane’s newsletter so you can keep up with all her writings!
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller? Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, will entice you to become one – freebies are for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Coming up on September 1st, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, September 1st, 2023.
Due to circumstances that shouldn’t have been beyond my control, I’ve had some sort of “can’t get the freebie into the hands of the winner syndrome” this summer. Oh, well, better days ahead.
Let’s meet the July’s winner –
Christine from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Christine! I hope you make good use of having a pocket-sized U. S. Constitution for yourself and a couple of extras for someone who might need to know what makes the greatest country on earth the greatest country on earth! I always think these make the most meaningful gift I can offer in July as we celebrate the founding of our nation.
Christine had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie offer as directed in the post. I require that little bit of effort on the part of my readers in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention..
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer here.
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller? Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, will entice you to become one – freebies are for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
The next freebie winner you’ll see won a free book – not mine (mine’s not out yet) – and that is an example of how sometimes someone is gracious enough to offer a freebie here on my blog. I love it when people do that!
Coming up on September 1st, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, September 1st, 2023.
These are the days of change. This is the time of year that we all look back at the fun of summer or its grueling chores in the hot sun and ahead to crisp days that haven’t quite arrived but tease us with a day here and there of “nice”. Treasure the last days of August.
It’s August. I don’t know where you live, but there might be a good chance that it’s hot in your neighborhood. When it’s hot and steamy like this, what better time than to be thankful for air conditioning (and I hope you have it) and stay inside and read a good romance. Oh, but what shall I read, you ask? Let me do my part to help you decide. If you love a romance, you’ll love this month’s First Friday Freebie.
My dear friend and fellow author, Diane Yates, has a brand new book out and she’s graciously offered an autographed copy for you as a free gift.
Diane Yates writes award-winning inspirational romantic fiction and nonfiction with endearing characters who find courage to overcome obstacles and emerge victorious. Her Fate Series, published by IHeart Publishing, begins with Melissa’s Fate and continues with Impossible Fate. The third book in the series has just released last week. Diane is the author of two biography/memoirs, Pathways of the Heart and All That Matters. She served two terms as President of Ozarks Writers League and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She teaches writing workshops and has spoken at various organizations. She and her husband Rick have served for years in youth and adult ministries. She has three children and eight grandchildren. You can follow her at www.dianeyates.com. Today, she’s offering you her brand new release –
To Deborah, who lost her sister, Aliyah, to a Christian cult, the only thing worse than a Jewish Christian is an Arab Christian. But Amir, banished from his Arab-Israeli family, falls in love with the sad, beautiful Jewish Deborah at first sight. A bond forms between them despite their religious and ethnic differences. After Deborah’s sister left, her parents, Yosef and Esther, have loathed each other, and nothing can ignite feelings of love between them. While David Drake and Aliyah return to her homeland as missionaries, David’s sister, Melissa, tries to reach teenagers with the message of abstinence, but her own marriage threatens to derail her mission. Little do they all know what the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has planned for them and the Fate of their love.
To enter to win an autographed copy of Love’s Fate, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love a love story!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, August 4th, 2023.
You may remember that Diane has previously offered books here at Midwest Storyteller as First Friday Freebies. Perhaps you were the winner of Pathways of the Heart or the sequel, All That Matters, memoirs about her mother’s life. If you haven’t read those and the earlier books in Diane’s Fate Series, be sure to check those out at www.dianeyates.com
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
My own love story is my Life with Smuffy, so head to that page if you want to find out what life has been like with this man of resource and adventure. You could start with our Smokin’ Hot Honeymoon. The thing I enjoy most is knowing I’ve made you smile, so be sure to visit my Laugh! page to brighten your day and find some fun to share with others. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, August 4th, by leaving a comment which says, “I love a love story!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
NOTE TO READERS: This recipe is a family favorite that appeared here on my blog prior to myeating according to the Trim Healthy Mama plan or becoming a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach. I am sharing it here again now that I have THM-ified it. While it tastes fabulous, remember that it is a “Crossover” if brown rice pasta is used and that you will need to adhere to serving sizes on the pasta in order not to consume too many carbs in this meal. The best way to eat your fill is to serve this recipe over THM’s Ancient Wisdom Noodles, Zoodles or any “on-plan” konjac noodles found in stores!
It’s time for another great recipe! This one is one of my inventions, and will appeal to everyone who likes things flavorful. While not hot and spicy, it certainly isn’t bland.
Why Saturday, you ask? No particular reason, except that Saturdays around our house seem to turn into project days, with Smuffy working on his and me working on mine. Smuffy likes to sleep in on Saturdays before launching into some DIY project that makes a lot of noise and is likely to stink up the place. I’m just thankful that only a couple of them have landed him in the emergency room.
It has always amazed me that no matter how late Smuffy sleeps, the “rumbly in his tumbly”, as Winnie the Pooh would say, speaks to him at the same time every day. Though he may have slept till ten and lingered over breakfast, he reappears at noon on the dot, looking weak in the knees and asking what’s for lunch.
I’ve wondered if it isn’t triggered by sound. For years, Smuffy has come home for lunch, Monday through Friday at noon on the dot, to the tune of the neighborhood church bells. They chime various lovely hymns a couple of times a day. Perhaps on Saturday, at the sound of the noon bells, he thinks he’s hungry. Have the bells trained him to eat at noon, no matter what? I think that’s how they do it with rats in a maze, although perhaps not with hymns.
Often, I’ve stood there, wondering what on earth I’m going to fix so that I can get on with my own project. Neither of us wants to go out. Meat is frozen. My mind is blank.
Then came this idea. I threw it together so fast I hardly knew how I did it. Smuffy says it’s hearty, healthy and “restaurant good”. It must be, because he likes variety, yet I can pretty much toss this together on any busy weekend and he’ll happily gobble it up. That’s really saying something, considering it has no meat! Smuffy likes meat – a lot!
You can make this a meal by using it as a side dish alongside your chosen meat or fish as your protein, or you can save a little room in your tummy for a chocolate or chai collagen trimmy afterward. Another option would be to incorporate some cooked chicken breast into the recipe.
Also, it has no dairy! I know some of you have been waiting for recipes like that. With no sugar and the only grain being brown rice pasta if you choose to use it, the healthy eaters can’t go wrong. See my note at the top about pasta vs. other noodle options.
A few notes before we start:
Don’t get hung up about it! I make this with what I have. I’m giving you the perfected version. Make it this way the first time, just so you know what you’ve been missing. Then, you can always try some of the things I’ve experimented with along the way, such as zucchini instead of spinach, etc. We would never make it without the sun-dried tomatoes. We think they really make the dish.
Don’t be a snob. Use fresh mushrooms if you can, but if you’re out, by all means use canned mushrooms.
I did not grow up in a kitchen where everything was the finest and best (although most of it was homegrown), but I’ve learned something. Though I’m frugal, I’ve learned that it’s better to pay for good ingredients and have good food I enjoy. It’s so much easier to say no to junk food when I’ve just created something healthy and delicious. That’s why I’m recommending brands on three ingredients. Jovial Brown Rice Pastas are fabulous! They came highly recommended by America’s Test Kitchen. Through the years, I’ve tried innumerable substitutes for white flour pasta. This one is the hands-down winner. Jovial Pasta People– I love you! Smuffy says he can’t tell the difference between it and “regular” pasta. I’ve bought the spaghetti and the lasagna noodles and they’re both great. Once you try this, you may want to check around for a bulk price. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one of the top two olive oils recommended by America’s Test Kitchen, has become a staple item in my kitchen. Ah – the flavor! In case you haven’t heard, there’s a whole big deal out there concerning olive oils and which companies you can trust. You may not be getting what you think in those beautiful bottles. Colavita is the real deal, and it makes this recipe delicious. I get it at my local supermarket in bottles and also in bulk, where I can get a deal on large tins. The Select olive oil found at Aldi is also nice. Trim Healthy Mama’s Ancient Wisdom Noodles are wonderful in this recipe, although since a lot of folks are also wild about them, they are out of stock at times. I did find another brand of konjac noodles once in Sprouts that also have that bit of oat fiber that makes all the difference in the texture so check there if you can’t get any THM. Other brands of konjac noodles will be “on plan” as well as spiralized zucchini. Somehow, I tend to think the zucchini version of this recipe would be a bit lacking.
Speaking of oils (and we’ll cover this in more detail in a future post), there are three oils in this recipe for a reason. Butter adds flavor, but tends to burn. Coconut oil resists burning and keeps the butter from browning without changing the flavor. I keep both kinds of coconut oil on hand – refined and unrefined (or extra virgin). You’ll want refined for this. Olive oil, though not a trans fat, does (just as most of the other oils do) turn to a trans fat when heated. It should be used to “dress” the dish when finished.
Don’t be lily-livered and leave out the “heat”! There are not enough red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper in this to make it spicy, but we find it necessary to give the recipe that certain what-cha-ma-call-it that has you making yummy-nummy noises while you eat it.
Let’s get cooking. This goes together in the time it takes your water to come to a boil and your pasta to cook. Don’t forget your FREE printable below.
Saturday Pasta
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon refined coconut oil
½ large onion, (slice thin, then quarter the slices)
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, snipped into small pieces with scissors) I use the ones in the bag and reconstitute them in warm water for a bit while I work on the rest of the recipe.
1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms or, preferably, fresh mushrooms
In a large skillet, heat butter and coconut oil over medium heat. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil if you are using the brown rice pasta. If using Ancient Wisdom Noodles, rinse and drain them into a colander and they’ll be ready to toss in when you need them.
Add onions to the skillet and stir.
In a small custard cup, pour a little water (approximately 3 Tablespoons)over the sun-dried tomatoes. Microwave them on on high for one minute or heat them in a small pan on the stove to reconstitute them. Set aside.
Add mushrooms and olives to the skillet. Stir. Lower heat so that onions do not begin to caramelize.
When water reaches a full boil, add pasta and ½ teaspoon mineral salt. Cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Meanwhile, pour one to two tablespoons olive oil into a large pasta bowl. Add red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. Stir. Set aside.
Add spinach to the skillet. (This will fill the skillet.) Cook and stir until spinach wilts and mixes with the other ingredients. Add sun-dried tomatoes (with liquid) to the mixture.
If you used pasta, drain it and add it to the pasta bowl. Toss to coat with the flavored oil. Add the skillet mixture, scraping the skillet clean with a spatula.
If you use Ancient Wisdom noodles, stir them in to the skillet mixture and heat, allowing them too cook a little and take on all the flavors.
Toss all the ingredients together, then dress with olive oil. Season to taste with additional sea salt and more olive oil, if desired.
Serves – well, that depends! If preparing a Crossover, the six ounces of pasta would be three servings in order to keep within reasonable carb limits. If using the Ancient Wisdom Noodles, you’ll have an “S” meal and you can eat your fill and decide if you want to count a package as a single serving or share. If you’re making this to share with others who are trimming down, use two packages of noodles and go a little heavy on the other ingredients for a bigger batch.
Don’t forget your FREE printable recipes! Just click on the arrow below.
SUBSCRIBE in the right side bar if your on your computer or on the CONTACT ME page if you’re on a phone or tablet so you won’t miss more delicious recipes.
What a hectic summer! It’s been that way for all of us. So much so that getting First Friday Freebies to their winners became delayed due to their vacations and other events.
Here they are at last, so let’s meet the May and June winners –
Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri and Vikki from Boonville, Missouri won the months’ free gifts respectively.
Congratulations, Ginger! From the photo, it looks like you’re enjoying the earrings.
Congratulations, Vikki! I hope you are enjoying the bumblebee kitchen helpers and managed to keep them from being snatched by a certain family member you’d suspected might take a fancy to them. This sort of thing does happen once in a while. Just remind that person that subscribing and entering to win is a more honest way to go about getting a First Friday Freebie.
Ginger and Vikki had their names drawn after they commented on the freebie posts as directed in the posts. I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention..
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offers for the ones Ginger and Vikki won here and here..
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller? Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, will entice you to become one – freebies are for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Just a shameless plug here. When my soon to be released novel comes out (the first in a three part series), it won’t be free. Well…perhaps one special copy might just pop up as a First Friday Freebie? We’ll see!
Coming up on August 4th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, August 4th, 2023.
Enjoy the rest of summer. We complain about the heat, but as my sweet mother always said, we’ll be wishin’ we had it back one of these days!
Now, didn’t that “Help”? Let’s push on with better grammar…
I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle CoachI do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
I first shared these thoughts a few years ago, but I’ve decided it’s time to revisit this bit of common sense and encouragement.
I first thought to name this page of my blog “Stayin’ Alive!” Love those Bee Gees! Besides, if one doesn’t accomplish at least this much in regards to one’s health, all other attempts are pretty much useless, if you get my drift.
I soon ditched that idea. There’s more to life than stayin’ alive! What’s the point of being here if your quality of life stinks? I decided on “Thrive!”
I got serious about my health during pregnancy. Up until that point, I’d stuck strictly to the See Food Diet. If I saw it, I ate it. Tall and slim, it never seemed to affect me. My dad once told me, as he watched me eat, that someday I’d stop growing up and start growing out and then be sorry about my appetite! I ate three square meals a day – big ones! No one had better leave a box of doughnuts anywhere near me.
But now, I knew that whatever I fed myself, I also fed the baby. Yikes! I spent a lot of time at the library. The baby came (all eight pounds and three ounces of her) along with an epiphany. I needed to keep her healthy till adulthood. And, (DUH!) why feed my child one way and myself another? The adult population seemed to be made up of a bunch of sick people, anyway.
I recently read of an umbilical cord study which showed that a couple of hundred toxins were detected in the cords and the samples were not taken from moms who were addicted to drugs or alcohol or had experienced anything most people would consider hazardous. They were only moms who used foods, shampoos and body products that most in our society walk into stores and buy without batting an eyelash.
Take a look at this photo. Note your first impression.
That’s the image that came to me. We can’t run on bad fuel! Yet, we live in a country where no one seems to grasp the concept. Or, if they do, they don’t care!
Can you imagine? Your friend Gwendolyn tells you that she hates the smell of gasoline, dislikes waiting in line at the service station and once even dribbled gasoline into her brand new shoes. She’s switching. From now on, she’ll run her car on lemonade. She likes lemonade. Tastes better, smells better and isn’t quite so icky between the toes.
You stifle a snort of laughter and get down to business. Somebody’s gotta talk Gwennie out of this madness. Doesn’t she know she’ll ruin a valuable machine with a crazy notion like that?
Gwendolyn won’t listen. Her plan is good for her, she insists. She leaves. You call several friends. After howling with laughter over Gwendolyn’s stupidity, some compassionate soul in the group says, “Listen! Don’t you think we ought to call her mother or somebody? I mean, somebody’s gotta stop her!”
I gave myself a “talkin’ to”. It went something like this: “You are kind to yourself. You are smart enough to learn. You are important to your family and you need to be the best you can be.”
Poor Smuffy went kicking and screaming all the way, suffering through strange herbs drying on the kitchen counter, whole wheat everything and tinctures galore. He told me once that the thing that kept him healthy was positive confession. Each time he’d cough or sniffle, I’d come running with some form of what he termed “stump water” and he’d call out, “I’m okay. I’m OKAY!”
Despite my efforts, I got that call from the doctor nobody wants – a cancer diagnosis. I’d studied various aspects of health, but hadn’t paid much attention to what may open the doors to cancer. I had no family history and besides, I ate good stuff! With my terrific appetite, I ate the good stuff and had room left over for some of the bad stuff.
People told me I was too young for cancer. I asked myself, “How old is old enough?” The answer, I concluded, was NEVER! After surgery, I endured chemo and radiation as “insurance”, more or less, according to the doctors. I’m sure there will be a future blog post on that nasty little interlude.
People like me are called “survivors”. I rejected that term from the beginning. It left me with an image of someone emerging from a jungle – burned, bitten, half-naked and hunted – running for a lifeboat that may or may not spring a leak. By the grace of God, I’m a WINNER! I am kind to myself. I am smart enough to learn. I am important to God and my family! I’m going to thrive!
I’ve learned much over the years, and it has turned my health around. In blog posts here on my Food Freedom page, you’ll be receiving a lot of great health information to chew on so that you can make your own decisions and take charge of your health. I am not your doctor and don’t pretend to be, but only hope to share helpful information. You’re smart enough to do your own research. You may see a few posts with some foods that contain ingredients that I’ve eliminated from my diet as I’ve grown wiser and learned what the real “frankenfoods” are. I’ll be editing those to help you out as much as I can.
So…about your reaction to the photo. Did you want to scream, “Stop, you idiot!”? Yet, we, almost never stop friends when it comes to food. Cars can be replaced. You only get one body. Why treat the finest, most intricately-designed, valuable piece of machinery ever invented – the human body – as though it were disposable?
Since the purpose of Midwest Storyteller is to take you to a better place, I want to share what I did as a first step. I gave up soda. Why pollute my body with a non-food item? A sugary soda has as many calories as a full meal. (Sorry, but I’d rather have food.) Artificially sweetened, it’s dangerous stuff, and I want to thrive! It’s been decades since I’ve had a soda. I don’t miss it. I do enjoy, however, Stayin’ Alive!
Americans have a big problem. Take a look at this aisle in my local grocery store.
That’s an entire aisle! All soda! They don’t devote this much space to bread, meat, cheese, etc. Yes, America has a problem, but you don’t have to. We can’t fuel up on junk because we feel like it or because, like Mount Everest, it’s there. We are as capable of making the right choices with our bodies as we are with our cars.
Okay, enough tough love. I believe in you. You are kind to yourself. You are smart enough to listen to the “real you”. You are important to God and your family.
You are also strong! Here’s the challenge: Choose one thing – just one – and take that step. Stick with it for thirty days. Whether it is to give up soda, lay off the sugar, exercise for 20-30 minutes three times a week or get more sleep, you can do it! (That last one is a personal struggle of mine if you came here for true confessions.)
Since I first shared this idea with you, I’ve been introduced to the common sense, sustainable world of Trim Healthy Mama. After a couple of years reveling in not having to exclude any food groups (except for “frankenfood”), enjoying hearty fat-based meals, satisfying my muscles and hormones with carb-based meals and learning how to make yummy desserts while kicking sugar to the curb, I became a Certified Lifestyle Coach. Ooh, did I mention that I lost that last annoying ten pounds I thought I’d never lose without constantly listening to my tummy growl? The Trim Healthy lifestyle is something you can definitely do all on your own and I’d recommend that you start with the book, The Trim Healthy Mama Plan and begin your journey. It’s written so anyone can understand the science of “why” and without that, we all lose motivation.
If you do decide you’re better off not going it alone, contact me. I’m happy to coach you privately in person or by phone and if you’re within driving distance at our local weekly group sessions.
Comment, letting me know you’ve chosen one way to live a better life. Or, share something you’ve already done that might encourage others. In thirty days, comment again, letting me know that you’re not only Stayin’ Alive, but determined to Thrive!
SUBSCRIBE, because it won’t be long before I throw myself a little online party, celebrating the twenty-four years that stretch between me and that cancer diagnosis.
If you were new to the United States of America and were given the test you needed to pass to get your U. S. citizenship, do you think you’d pass?
Something tells me I might not get exactly an A+ on that one. I wonder how many members of congress would pass. Oh, well…moving right along…
We can’t appreciate what we have if we don’t know what we have.
I love this quote from a 1988 speech by Ronald Reagan – “”America represents something universal in the human spirit. I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, ‘You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won’t become a German or a Turk.’ But then he added, ‘Anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American.'”
You don’t have to be loyal to any political party to grasp how important it is to know what is and is not granted to you as a citizen and to appreciate those who have given their lives, their fortune and their sacred honor in order for their dream to be handed down to you.
Now, more than ever, we need to know what we have so we don’t lose what we have. I’ve often made this my July First Friday Freebie in honor of Independence Day and it’s because I want you to physically get your hands on what it means to live in the greatest country on earth – not the perfect, but still the greatest – and to be able to share what that means with others.
These pocket-sized U. S. Constitutions are perfect for keeping with you at all times. The book includes the Constitution, Amendments, the Declaration of Independence and list of the signers, an index, a list of significant dates and a page on “Celebrating the Constitution”. I’m including three copies as your freebie so that you can keep on and share the other two with those who need to know what’s granted to them inside these pages.
To enter to win the set of three U. S. Constitutions, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “America, you’re beautiful!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, July 7th, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
News about my upcoming books, my Life with Smuffy, recipes, freebies, fun things to make you laugh, reviews, creative ideas and even thoughts for you from Phoebe June – they’re all here on the blog so click through the menu and be sure to share with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, July 7th, by leaving a comment which says, “America, you’re beautiful!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Sorry to seem absent lately, but I’ve been a bit pre-occupied lately due to this –
I’ve written for years and years. You know how it is – a little bit of this and whole lot of that. I really enjoy writing the humor non-fiction stories here on the blog because they are about my favorite things in life – Smuffy, Lil’ Snookie, Phoebe June and the family stories that shouldn’t be forgotten. And you know I love sharing what I’ve learned about healthy eating and lifestyle with you.
I don’t know if you’ve ever sat down to write a novel. It’s a whole different critter than any of the above and it’s not kid-stuff. It begins as a joy at having a story that you think people will love to read and then it is work, work, work to get it to the place where it can be read.
Several years ago a I had a dream. I don’t say that figuratively. I had a dream one night and when I woke I realized that the entire story was still there in my memory like a downloaded file. I grabbed a spiral book and wrote down every detail.
Little did I know it would be a three-novel series! Little did I know how much historical research, editing, and time it would take to complete. What I found that I knew the least about was the publishing world! Filled with agents, editors, publishers, conferences and my pleas for guidance from more experienced authors, it frustrated me at times to a degree that made me want to pick things up off my desk and throw them against the wall. However, wisdom prevailed. My desk is already messy enough and I didn’t need to make it any worse.
I had confidence in these stories. So, evidently, does the publisher! The first in the series is on the way and I’ll keep you posted here on the blog so that you’ll have plenty of hints along the way and be amongst the first to know the minute it’s available. I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy it!
I believe everyone has a story to tell. If you were going to write a book, would it be fiction or non-fiction? What would it be about? Would it be a mystery, a love story, a true story? Leave a comment and let me know.
It’s the season for summertime fun with picnics, barbecues and other outdoor fun. I’m here to help you brighten up the festivities.
There’s always a freebie offer on the first Friday of each month, so let’s take a look at what June has to offer.
Is it time to toss those grungy potholders and replace them with something a little more cheery? Maybe it’s just time to put the ones with the bunnies away till next spring. These kitchen helpers with a bumble bee and flower theme will have your kitchen or barbecue area looking summery and bright. The bees hum among the soft yellow flowers and gray leaf print. Included are one oven mitt, two potholders and one drying mat.
By the way, where have drying mats been all my life? I’ve come to really appreciate these things and use them all the time. Someday we’ll be telling our children that there was a time when they didn’t exist and things just sat there on a soggy tea towel. They’ll stare in disbelief, just like when we told them that phones used to be attached to the wall and you had no idea who was calling.
To enter to win the bumble bee kitchen set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’d bee thrilled to have this freebie!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, June 2nd, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
My Life with Smuffy, recipes, freebies, fun things to make you laugh, reviews, creative ideas and even thoughts for you from Phoebe June – they’re all here on the blog so click through the menu and be sure to share with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 2nd, by leaving a comment which says, “I’d bee thrilled to have this freebie!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Enjoy your summer. I hope to be bringing you more information and fun now that the glories of spring are about to give way to the swelter of the Midwest’s summers.
Last month’s winner has been notified and will be revealed soon. We’ve had issues connecting due to the fact that she’s been on vacation.
Have you ever noticed that every day’s a holiday? The trend in the last several decades is to name days the “National Day of Whatever-Tickles-Your Fancy”.
Well, of course, it’s First Friday Freebie Day and that is enough to get excited about all on its own, but I wondered what else we might be celebrating along with it to make it even more special. I knew I’d be a day late to get in on winding my hair over my ears like cinnamon rolls and greeting you with “May the 4th be with you”, so I decided to see what else was on the calendar since I couldn’t think of anything.
There were a lot of things – too many to list here – so I picked a few gems.
There’s good old Cinco de Mayo, so you can have a fun fiesta while you wait to find out if you won the freebie.
National Hoagie Day – you may have to choose between this and the one above, unless you have an appetite like mine. As a THM coach, I’d say Cinco de Mayo is probably better for you.
Children’s Day – I thought that was every day.
General Prayer Day – I thought that was every day, too.
It’s International Midwives Day and National Astronaut Day – choose your hero or heroine!
It’s Museum Lovers’ Day and Nail Day – get your nails done and then wander around in the museum while they dry. They won’t let you touch anything anyway.
It’s Tuba Day and National No Pants Day – perhaps if you hold your tuba just right, marching in the parade for this might not be quite so embarrassing?
Choosing from a day buffet like this one can be confusing, but here’s your First Friday Freebie – already chosen just for you!
These lightweight layered earrings will flutter in the spring breeze for you. Their full length is 3 ¼ inches and they measure 1 ¼ inches at their widest point. The light neutral color will go with anything you wear and the textures are what make them eye-catching. The top “leaf” shapes have just the right amount of sparkle and the ones behind have a pebbled leather look and are slit around the edges to give even more of a leafy-edge look. This is a great find from Factory Connection.
To enter to win the leaf earrings, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I promise to wear pants with this freebie!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, May 5th, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
My Life with Smuffy, recipes, freebies, fun things to make you laugh, reviews, creative ideas and even thoughts for you from Phoebe June – they’re all here on the blog so click through the menu and be sure to share with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, May 5th, by leaving a comment which says, “I promise to wear pants with this freebie!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Enjoy every day in the merry, merry month of May. Eat Mexican, laugh with a child, remember to pray, thank someone who makes a difference in the world, take a relaxing day off, make some music. But try, please, to do the majority of these things wearing pants!
I’ll post as often as I can during these beautiful days, but I confess to abandoning my desk in favor of spending most of my time running around outside with Lil’ Snookie (in pants).
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.
There are studies out there for everything. I believe it was Mark Twain who said there are three kinds of lies – lies, d*#n lies and statistics. Sorry about that – he said it – not me and that’s as close to coarse as I’m gonna get.
I hear people all the time say that they don’t go by anecdotal evidence. They claim, in a superior sort of way, that they only abide by clinical studies. To that, I say, “Poppycock, balderdash, fiddle-faddle!” And I might be so bold as to add, “Piffle!”
Suppose you went to a specialist and described your health concern. After extensive tests, he diagnoses you with spotsarashitchitosis. He hands you a prescription for toximoxadislow and gives a full explanation of this drug as the latest, greatest and safest and cites multiple studies in which the victims of your condition are transformed from depressed and mere shells of their former selves into lively specimens who dance in the streets while strewing roses from their hats.
Elated, you head home, planning to make the pharmacy the last on your list of errands. At the gas station, you meet your friend, Flow, and tell her about your doctor’s visit. With alarm in her eyes, Flow tells you that she took the same drug and had a reaction that nearly killed her. You listen, but pass this off as a rare case. And besides, Flow gets worked up about things.
Next, you run into Cousin Rudy at the grocery store and again you share your experience. “Dunno,” says Rudy, rubbing his chin, “Larry took that stuff and tells me things haven’t been the same between him and the missus ever since.” You give him a “Wow!” accompanied by raised eyebrows and head for the bank.
Inside the bank, you find Mary Ann and do some catching up while you wait in line. As soon as you mention the drug, she clutches your forearm and says, “Oh my, before you take that stuff, call Peggy. Of course, you’ll have to wait till she gets out of the hospital first.”
Guess what? By the time you’ve driven home, you’ve just thrown all clinical studies out the window along with the prescription because of the anecdotal experiences of people you know whom you don’t consider to be nut jobs.
All that to say, I love a good study! I do research all the time and sometimes base health decisions on that research. I’ve had some health issues that demanded that I take charge and learn a lot.
I also listen to the Trim Healthy Podcast, which is full of valuable rock-solid science and personal stories. Sometime last fall, Pearl Barrett shared her own story about her eyes on “The Poddy”. She said that she’d been needing reading glasses for a while and now had reached the point where she felt like she needed to increase their strength. After some research on goji berries and their benefits to eye health she decided to include two tablespoons of them into her diet every day, most often in her morning oatmeal. In two months time, she had begun to notice that there were times when she didn’t need her readers. Before this, the only times she could go without them were if she happened to be out on her porch which is flooded with natural light. Now she found herself going without readers in other situations as well!
Goji berries seemed like a simple thing to try. I looked at my calendar and realized that I had just a little over two months till my next checkup with the optometrist, so I bought a bag of dried goji berries and got started with my two tablespoons a day just to see what might happen.
Well, what happened was life and my appointment ended up getting postponed so that I’d been consuming goji berries daily for around three and one half months before I got checked. I actually started with a small bag from Natural Grocers first, just to be sure that they weren’t so disgusting that I couldn’t get them down every day. I found them to have a completely neutral flavor so I ordered the big two pound bag you see in the photo from Amazon in order to get a better price. Considering I was only experimenting with two tablespoons a day, this is affordable.
When my eye appointment rolled around, I got the news that my eyes were just that partial step better than they’d been on previous visits! I thought I’d been noticing that recipes seemed a little easier to read and now I realized I wasn’t just wishing and hoping. Needless to say, I bought another bag and am still doing my two tablespoons a day.
Thanks much, Pearl Barrett and theTrim Healthy Podcast for always having good info and great ideas that are natural and safe!
Note: Goji berries do not dry soft like raisins. They dry hard. When I plan for oatmeal in the mornings, I soak my half cup of old-fashioned oats overnight in the bowl and in the morning I place my hand over this and pour most of the water off. Then, the oats go into a small saucepan with all the other flavorings and protein I like, including the goji berries. By the time the oats are hot and bubbly and I’ve gotten all the other things stirred in, the goji berries are softened and ready to eat. However, if I am planning on something that does not get heated, like 0% fat Greek yogurt with raspberries and sprouted grain toast for breakfast, I will put the goji berries in the bowl on the counter the night before with just enough water on them to soften them overnight.
That’s my goji berry story (so far) and I hope it helps you or perhaps you can pass it along to someone who needs to hear it.
Here’s another thing to shout about – It’s spring, folks! Yes, it’s warm one day and rainy and chilly the next, but I’ll take it any way I can get it. How about you?
If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom page on Facebook and Mewe and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight if you need to do that.
Leave a comment and let me know if you plan to experiment with how goji berries might help or tell me about other ways you’ve taken steps to change your health for the better through clean eating. Thessalonians 5:11 reminds us to encourage one another and build one another up.
I don’t know what your winter has been like. Maybe you’ve had the worst one on record and had to dig your car out of a snow drift twice daily. If so, I hate to rub this in, but we’ve been having the mildest winter I can recall in a long time. I know, I know, this is the Midwest and it ain’t over till it’s over and we have three weeks to go, but this has been glorious for those, like me, who’d rather the season be done away with if we didn’t need it to kill the bugs.
So, as we listen to the spring peepers outside and I watch the tulips stretching their necks all up and down my front walk, let’s celebrate March with a First Friday Freebie.
I almost saved this one for next month as we look forward to Resurrection Day on April 9th, but I just knew you’d be decorating early and this simple confession of faith is definitely something that suits all seasons. “Saved by Grace” is stamped on this white wooden cross that measures slightly less than 6” X 8”. It’s a bit distressed and the carved horizontal grooves give the appearance of shiplap. It is thick enough to stand without falling over easily and also has a hanging notch on the back. Another great Hobby Lobby find that I think most of my readers would enjoy.
To enter to win the “Saved by Grace” cross, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I live a grace-filled life!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, March 3rd, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
My Life with Smuffy, recipes, freebies, fun things to make you laugh, reviews, creative ideas and even thoughts for you from Phoebe June – they’re all here on the blog so click through the menu and be sure to share with friends and family through all your social media. They’ll never know about it unless you do. If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, March 3rd, by leaving a comment which says, “I live a grace-filled life!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
The painful part about March is that we can’t plant anything yet here. That’s another six weeks away. I’ll have Lil’ Snookie begging me for outdoor play and trips to the park way before I’m warm enough to tolerate it. It’ll come, eventually. Then, oh, how we will glory in it!
I have a personal victory to share with you soon, so keep watching. I’ll post it as soon as I can.
If you still have winter blahs, my “Life With Smuffy” and my “Laugh” pages will jolt you right out of it!
I hope you spread the love in February. I know I did! Lil’ Snookie and I made Valentines together and he enjoyed helping me make Trim Healthy Two Minute Truffles and Brownie Fudge. And, of course, I offered the First Friday Freebie of Love.
Let’s meet the winner –
Shirley from Boonville, Missouri.
Congratulations, Shirley! I hope you enjoy the wood and metal wall hanging. Shirley’s name was drawn after she commented on the freebie post, which asked for everyone to fill in the blank, “I love doing life with _____” Shirley filled it in with “grandchildren” and I’m sure this will be the perfect greeting for them when they stop by her house for a little TLC.
You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer here. This gift was a great find at Hobby Lobby.
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller? Hopefully, my Freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, will entice you to become one – freebies are for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. What can be better in today’s economy?
Coming up on March 3rd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, March 3rd, 2023.
Enjoy all the hearts and flowers February has to offer! You may think it’s all been commercialized, but I look at it this way – if there’s one thing in life that can’t be overdone, it’s loving on others! So, buy a box of Valentines, stir up some THM chocolate goodness and bless somebody. Tell them you love them, appreciate them, value them. Do it on the cheap, but do it with all your heart.
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.
I am super thrilled to be writing this post – and just a tad riddled with guilt. I love it when I hit a home run in the kitchen! I’ve invented many a recipe in my time and, believe me, they were not all worthy of winning three “golden ladles” such as my soup here, or of getting a 5-star review from those gathered at the table, if you know what I mean.
There’s a story behind everything here on the blog and this is where the guilt comes in. It was a dark and stormy night…just kidding.
One of the more recent additions to the Trim Healthy Mama line of products has been “No-Carb Easy Bread”, a packet bread mix that when blended with a couple of simple ingredients, is poured right into the pan to bake. When they say “easy”, they mean easy, as in whisk three things in a bowl and bake! BONUS: It’s Fuel Pull, so it can be enjoyed with FP or any other “S” and “E” meals on plan. It can be baked in a loaf or as buns.
As with everything in THM world, it will not spike blood sugar, so that makes it great for people watching that who may not even be aware of what the THM plan is all about.
I ordered a couple of packets to try and I was not only thrilled with the simplicity, but also the flavor. I knew this could easily become my “go-to” substitute for the morning English muffin, the hamburger bun, whenever I needed an on-plan bread. I could butter it up for an “S”, fill it up with lean meat and greens for sandwich and keep it FP or toast it to have alongside a delicious “E” soup like this one.
I spotted my dilemma. I’d only ordered two bags. I could see myself constantly running out of this and wishing for more. We’re budget conscious around here. Shipping costs add up and I usually make my THM orders when I have several things I need.
I set my mind to coming up with a mix of my own that would come as close to Serene and Pearl’s as possible (without having to making as many attempts in my kitchen to get it right as Pearl says she did).
I make up about six recipes of the dry mix at a time and put them into quart freezer bags upon which I’ve written the additions, oven temperature and baking time. This way, I don’t even have to pull out a recipe. I just grab, mix, pour and bake. Then, I made a discovery. After doing some number crunching with fats and carbs and realizing that I mis-read something, I found all those bags of mix were actually “E” and not “FP”!
Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t throw away perfectly good food, so I began enjoying it as an “E”, especially in bun form. Hey, we all need more “E” meals, right? I shared it with my clients and a even made up “E” sandwiches on buns and took them to a soup ‘n sandwich dinner party and they were a hit. The hostess’ hubby took a leftover sandwich to work the next day and bragged on it, saying he could eat that bread anytime!
Now I needed to work on a “FP” version because I am determined to help my clients keep their THM life simple and I never wanted them to feel “stuck” if they run out of pre-packaged items. After a few attempts that weren’t quite what I had in mind and some further crunching on the calculator, I came up with a mix that works. You may think it can’t compare to THM’s No-Carb Easy Bread, but if, by chance, you even prefer it, then I’m sorry, Serene and Pearl – I love you and I didn’t mean to show you up.
DISCLAIMER: I totally guessed at this. I haven’t been down in Tennessee rooting through dumpsters at the THM facilities. I don’t know how this happened other than to say it was a shot in the dark. I’ve no intentions of selling it, so I don’t see any reason to end up standing in front of a judge. It can’t be the same recipe, because I’ve never seen the real recipe.
Try both recipes and see if you like them. I’ve grown to love making it up into buns as pictured because it seems more versatile for our needs. There is a slight tweak to make if you do these the way I do, so be sure to read the notes and see the weird bun pan in the photo. If this bread saves you money, makes your life simpler and keeps you away from “frankenfood” breads, that’s great. You could literally whip up a batch every day and never strain a wrist. If it’s not quite your thing, then by all means go for the real thing and order up some “No Carb Easy Bread” from Trim Healthy Mama.
I’m offering you a free printable with both recipes on one sheet so that you can jump right in and make both breads.
TIP: When I made the “E” sandwiches, I used a Laughing Cow light cheese wedge to spread over the two halves of the fun. Half of the sandwiches I then drizzled balsamic glaze onto the Laughing Cow for a sweeter flavor and on the other half, I generously added the Kickin’ Dippin’ Sauce, Dip or Dressing (page 518, Trim Healthy Table) for those who like a more spicy flavor. (I added a little gluccie to the blender when making this to make it a bit thicker.) I had the deli slice my provolone cheese on the #1 thickness so that I could keep the fat on the sandwich to a minimum by using one slice. Lettuce leaves and mesquite deli turkey breast completed the tasty “E” sandwich.
Here are both recipes. Don’t forget your free printable below.
Coach Barb’s Copy-cat No-Carb Easy Bread “FP”
1 1/3 cup egg whites (I use carton type for this)
1 package of dry mix (see the mixture below)
¾ cup water
In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites vigorously for 60 seconds until very frothy.
Add dry mix and water; whisk until well combined.
Pour into a parchment lined 9”X5” loaf pan.. Carve a large “X” across the top. Or, pour into 6 or 7 holes of a silicone mesh 4” bun pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 50-60 minutes for bread or for 20-25 minutes for buns. Use convection setting if you have it and reduce the cooking time accordingly. (I do bread for 50 minutes and buns for 20 minutes on convection.)
Grasp the edges of the parchment paper, lift the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as it is finished baking. Peel away the parchment and cool completely. If using a mesh-style bun pan, allow to cool ten minutes in the pan and they should “peel” from the mesh cleanly.
Dry Mix 1/2 cup oat fiber
1/2 cup golden flax meal
1/2 cup whole husk psyllium flakes
1/2 cup unblanched almond flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon erythritol
½ teaspoon mineral salt
2 doonks Pure Stevia extract
Now for the version that gives you all those good carbs!
Coach Barb’s Slow-Carb Easy Bread “E”
1 1/3 cup egg whites (I use carton type for this)
1 package of dry mix (see the mixture below)
¾ cup water
In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites vigorously for 60 seconds until very frothy.
Add dry mix and water; whisk until well combined.
Pour into 9”X5” loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Carve a large “X” across the top. Or, pour into 6 or 7 parchment lined holes of a 4” bun pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour for bread or for 20-25 minutes for buns. Use convection setting if you have it and reduce the cooking time accordingly. (I do my loaf for 50 minutes and my buns for 20 minutes on convection.)
Take hold of the edges of the parchment paper and lift the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as it is finished baking. Peel away the parchment and allow to cool completely. If using the mesh-style bun pan, allow the buns to cool ten minutes in the pan and then they will peel away from the mesh without pulling apart.
Dry Mix
4 ounces oat flour (or 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup golden flax meal
¼ cup psyllium husk flakes (add two more tablespoons if making buns in the mesh style pan – See notes)
1 tablespoon unblanched almond flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon erythritol
½ teaspoon mineral salt
2 doonks Pure Stevia extract
NOTES: I had trouble finding a bun pan with holes large enough for what I considered a hamburger sized bun. I ended up with the one in the photo which I found on Amazon. Even though the description said “mesh”, I was not prepared for the rolled up thing that arrived – the limp and floppy thing you see here. I had my serious doubts as to whether it could even be used for such a loose dough as this. I did end up stirring in 2 additional tablespoons of the psyllium husk flakes to make the dough thicken a little before spooning into the holes. I also thought the buns might not want to come out of the pan, but let them cool 10 minutes and you’ll be able to “peel” them right off the mesh! Strangest item of cookware I’ve ever bought! If you like a taller bun, then be sure to fill only 6 holes rather than 7. Look for something which has holes in the 4” range if you want more of a bun rather than a muffin size. Here’s the link to the one I ordered.
YIELD: 6 or 7 buns or 1 loaf of bread.
Grab that FREE PRINTABLE RECIPE!
I give full credit and honors to Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison for the inspiration for these recipes and for their great products at TrimHealthyMama.com such as No-Carb Easy Bread mix. Thank you for all you do to help others live a healthy life!
If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom pages on Facebook and Mewe and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight if you need to do that.
Leave a comment and let me know how you like the bread and what is your favorite way to enjoy it.
It’s fun to try something new, especially when it’s this easy!
Here we are in February and my motto is – “embrace the love”! Whether you have a significant other or not, you can still spread love and appreciation along with the other thing I consider vital – chocolate! Why not wear red, sport some pink, hang up some hearts and hand out some Valentines? It beats sitting around surrounded by winter’s drab days waiting for brighter ones. Brighten them up yourself!
I’m doing my part. Let’s take a look at February’s First Friday Freebie.
We do life with so many others – our close-knit immediate family, our extended family, those coming in and out of our home and those we meet out and about. This weathered wood sign with its riveted metal plate declares, “I love doing life with you!” It measures 7” wide and 10” high. It’s a little bit of modern on a little bit of shabby and neutral to go with any décor. You certainly won’t have to take it down after Valentine’s Day. Its twine rope allows you to hang just about anywhere. I hope you enjoy this great Hobby Lobby find.
To enter to win the “love doing life” décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love doing life with _______” (and fill in the blank with someone special). It could be your sweetie, your grandchild or your pet – just drop in that special name. Of course, I love doing life with Smuffy. You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, February 3rd, 2023.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
No one will get to enjoy all the great things here on the blog unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, February 3rd, by leaving a comment which says, “I love doing life with _______” and insert that special name or nickname.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Spread a few hearts and flowers over the next couple of weeks and make the ones you love or appreciate feel special. It serves to heal the soul when people know they’re not forgotten. Soon we’ll be moving on into spring and have fresh reasons to rejoice. For now, let’s melt the winter blahs by warming as many hearts as we can.
I’m tweaking a great recipe to share and will hopefully have it posted here soon to help you make 2023 trim, healthy and simple.
Speaking of love, my “Life With Smuffy” and my “Laugh” pages are all about people I love and sharing those with someone will fill their lives with joy and laughter.
