In some ways, I have my ducks in a row. In others, not so much. Throw a monkey wrench into my well-oiled plans and I’m likely to forget I had any plans at all. November’s First Friday Freebie was chosen in a timely manner and in the usual way. And then, emails just didn’t seem to be moving back and forth in their proper cyber-flow and I lost contact with the winner. By the time this got sorted out and the Freebie got into the hands of the postal service, and the Freebie took it’s cross-country journey, I succumbed to CPO (Christmas Preparation Overload)! This condition, complicated by my chronic state of GCED (Grandchild Comes Every Day), led me to lose complete track of things.
Anyhow, let’s meet the winner –
Jean from Hurricane Utah!
Congratulations, Jean! I’m so glad you entered to win!
Jean received this autographed copy of Diane Yates new novella, “Christmas on the High Seas”. I’m hoping that COP did not prevent her from enjoying this great read in time to enjoy it during the Christmas season.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out and enjoy a brief interview with Diane Yates about this Christmas romance here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on myFreebies! pagehere. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Jean entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Get the idea?
Coming up: December’s winner! Then, 2021 and another great drawing are just around the corner on Friday, January 1st. I’ll surprise you that morning with the announcement and photo of January’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, January 1st, 2021.
Preparing to say “goodbye” to 2020? It’s been quite a year! Blessings on your life as we enter a bright and happy new year!
I realize I haven’t shared many creative endeavors here on the blog in a while. That is, any that are mine and mine alone. Yes, our house is still torn up in several places and most of the efforts are going into what has become the longest kitchen renovation in the history of the world. C’mon, folks! Try and top it! Leave your comments, be honest, and let me know how long your kitchen makeover took. It’s coming along, but we do get weary at times. However, there is only one of Smuffy and everything is hand-crafted in this project, so on we march toward the finish line in our tortoise-like fashion.
In the middle of it all, I decided that if I had to look at our fireplace one more minute I might just scream. I’d passed the grumbling and sneering phase long ago. Built in 1950, our home, for which we are grateful in many ways, was given a fake fireplace from the start. Sturdy and solid brick with a nice oak mantle, it stands tall and proud and just a shade wonky which is better than many other things in our house which are wonky in the extreme. After living here and working on the house for decades, we’ve come to the conclusion (with no offense intended) that our house had to have been built by someone who, being a certified nitwit on his best days, practiced up for his future career as a builder by whamming away on his first project (our house) with a dull axe during bouts of extreme drunkenness.
Many are the projects we have undertaken and pushed through to the end with heavy sighs, but the fireplace has stood just as its maker intended, since 1950.
Then, as happens to so many of us, I saw a photo on Pinterest at acottagegirl.com. I love Cindy’s ideas on her blog. I’d never really known what I wanted to do to the fireplace till I saw her fireplace photo. It filled me with that feeling that can only be described as “Oh, yeah!”
Then came the research. I had to know how to get the look without making some mistake I’d be sorry for. Here’s what I did and a little bit about how I did it. I hope you enjoy the results. I’m very happy with the outcome. The before photo is in Spring 2020 when I hadn’t much desire or inspiration to decorate and the after is, as you can see, decorated for fall. I’m not quite finished tweaking it for Christmas just yet.
I had a long talk with an experienced paint man at Home Depot who recommended a good masonry primer. After applying this, I applied a Behr paint in a Magnolia color called “Lit Candles”. Then, I got pretty jittery about how to apply the darker color and get it to look right. I ended up choosing a Behr paint, “Armadillo” , in a satin finish and mixed it, one part paint to four parts faux glaze. I only had to buy a sample jar of the paint and I had the glaze on hand. I applied this with a sea sponge in a horizontal swiping/dabbing motion and then, with a wet rag, removed as much paint/glaze as I could from the mortar between the bricks. It was a bit like being way too close to your Monet while painting, but each time I stood back and took in the effect, I grew a little more confident that I wasn’t creating a total disaster.
The dark accent wall behind the fireplace, along with the rest of the room, has now been painted in Valspar’s “Milk Toast” from Lowe’sand I’m liking it better and better every day. It went on like a dream in one coat over a special primer called “PPG Gripper” from Home Depot, recommended to me by their helpful paint guy as something I could put straight over my old faux-finished glazed walls without having to sand them. God bless this man!
I’m pressing the pause button on all home updates other than the kitchen until after the holidays. I’ll take progress on that room any time I can get it!
So, dear readers, show me your fireplaces and any other fun updates you’ve been doing lately. I value your ideas because I need to make changes in several rooms.
You can check out some of my other creative projects, including writing, wood burning, decorating, sewing, re-purposing and restoration by exploring my Create! page.
I almost didn’t get this announcement out while it’s still October! The First Friday Freebie found its new home weeks ago, but in case you haven’t heard, I keep my grandbaby every day and am in the middle of the world’s longest kitchen remodel. I’m just a wee teeny bit distracted.
Meet the winner –
Ruby from Boonville, Missouri
Congratulations, Ruby! I know you enter often and that it has paid off. You’re not a first-time winner.
Ruby won this fall set of two kitchen towels from Fabulous Home’s Fall Harvest Collection. Measuring 15” X 25”, they are of generous size. One boasts a plaid of burgundy and gold while the coordinating towel has word art just right for the season. For an extra touch of fall color, you can display (either hanging or sitting) this 5” X 5” metal sign by Dayspring that lovingly lists “Ten Things God Wants You to Remember”.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and have a better look at the items Ruby won, click here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! pagehere. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Ruby entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. And that, dear friends, is just as free as the freebie! Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Get the idea?
I’m excited about November’s drawing which will take place next Friday on November 6th. I’ll surprise you that morning with the announcement and photo of November’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, November 6th, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?
When I think of this time of year, what comes to mind is a pot of my Zesty Pumpkin Soup. Click here for that and remember to use almond milk to stay plan-friendly with Trim Healthy Mama. (And the biscuits in that blog post – not on plan – tasty, but pure Frankenfood.) I also think of digging out my boots and scarves, going on outings with friends while the weather is brisk and the colors are bright. I dream of having friends over for comfort food!
To do that, I like a touch of fall in the house, even in the kitchen. You probably do, too, and that’s why I think you’ll enjoy October’s First Friday Freebie!
You’ll be hostessing in style with this fall set of two kitchen towels from Fabulous Home’s Fall Harvest Collection. Measuring 15” X 25”, they are of generous size. One boasts a plaid of burgundy and gold while the coordinating towel has word art just right for the season. For an extra touch of fall color, you can display (either hanging or sitting) this 5” X 5” metal sign by Dayspring that lovingly lists “Ten Things God Wants You to Remember”.
To enter to win this fall towel set and metal sign, leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, October 2nd, 2020 and be sure to say, “I’ve fallen for the Freebie!”
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so subscribe now over at the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’ve fallen for the Freebie!”
Click here for complete First Friday Freebie rules.
Four simple steps!
If you don’t do it now, you might just forget between now and midnight and miss your opportunity to enter. Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email.
Enjoy these beautiful days if you live in a place where the seasons change. Winter around here is nothing I care to brag about, but autumn in the Midwest is a glorious sight to behold. May you revel in the beauty of it all! Have a picnic. Take long walks. Gather some folks around a campfire. Just go sit and stare at the handiwork of God.
Comments or questions? What’s your favorite thing to do this time of year?
I suppose 2020 has been crawling for some people, but not for me. How in the world did we arrive at August? It’s almost time for another First Friday Freebie, but before that, let me introduce you to July’s winner –
Shirley from Boonville, Missouri
Shirley enters often and this time she’s won the beautiful fabric covered remembrance book/journal.
Congratulations, Shirley! Whether you journal your thoughts or just let it rest somewhere as décor, I hope you enjoy your First Friday Freebie.
If you’d like to see the original First Friday Freebie offer of this great Tuesday Morning find, click here.
Past winners of my First Friday Freebies are on my Freebies! pagehere. First Friday Freebiesare for email subscribers only, so be sure to subscribe today if you’d like to enter to win.
Shirley’s name was drawn from among those who commented as instructed after reading the post that appeared on the first Friday of the month. Becoming a subscriber is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post and you’ll be entered to win.
I love it when you share my blog posts with your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest. That helps me reach more people and gives them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. That makes life good.
August’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, August 7th.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, August 7th, 2020.
Spread the word and, most importantly, look for tomorrow’s post and enter to win!
My goodness! What a month! I won’t get into the whole story while I’m announcing the freebie winner, but you’ll see in an upcoming post why I’ve had little time for blogging lately.
June’s First Friday Freebie goes to a three time winner –
Ruth from St. Louis, Missouri!
To give you a hint as to how distracted and busy I’ve been, you can see here that I’ve had to do a little bit of hurried, and unprofessional, photo editing of Ruth from one of her past wins. (I’ve had some major problems getting to the post office lately and that left little time for us to send, receive and get a photo back. Sigh…)
Ruth enters almost every month and it’s paying off! This time, she’s won three copies of the U. S. Constitution. I’m sure she’ll find a couple of friends to share the extras with who may already know and love this great document that grants us our rights and freedoms or maybe she’ll give them to someone who needs to get acquainted with it.
Congratulations, Ruth! I hope you enjoy your First Friday Freebie – again!
If you’d like to see my original First Friday Freebie offer and find out why I chose to give away copies of the U. S. Constitution, click here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! pagehere. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Ruth subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. This is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Get the idea?
July’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, July 3rd.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, July 3rd, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?
Just a quick note today to announce that once again, one of my stories has been accepted for publication in the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild’s annual collection of poetry and prose! “Well Versed 2020” makes it’s debut this Saturday, June 13th! My story, “The Eyes of Love” is among the entries chosen for this year’s book.
I was honored to be chosen for publication in this anthology last year (Well Versed 2019) with a story called, “The Brown Wedding Dress” a true-life depiction giving but a snippet of the great love story of my Aunt Martha and Uncle George who were married over eighty years and shared a life and love that I was privileged to witness and record.
I share more of their story this year with “The Eyes of Love” which tells of a horrifying incident that occurred shortly after they married and which, though it brought them shock, pain and responsibilities that any of us would shrink from, drew them into a greater knowledge of love’s sacrifices and brought healing to Martha’s soul.
My apologies for being so late with this announcement. It seems there’s something about keeping a five-month-old while in the midst of this kitchen remodel that keeps me from getting things done quite the way I’d like.
Further apologies for having to announce that if you’d like a copy, you will have to email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com no later than Friday, June 12. (I told you I was behind on things!) They are $11 and if you need me to ship it to you, they will be $14 if you’d like to get one directly from me. You may also respond to my Facebook announcement in the comments. They will be available on Amazon at a later date.
Mine is one of the many contributions to this anthology and I offer my congratulations to all the other contributors!
If you’d like to have get to know Martha and her family members, glimpses into their lives are found along with other family stories can be found right here on my “Laugh” page.
We still have no kitchen as we live in this cluttered world of hitches and compromises. So, you may ask, how does a Trim Healthy Mama who is dedicated to eating healthy managing to keep on track during all this? Let me introduce you to my Not-A-Kitchen!
These photos are really embarrassing, but hopefully will make the end reveal all the more glorious. And, please forgive the spastic decorating. I find that as things change, I keep poking things onto empty nails “for now” and the house is starting to look like I’ve lost my marbles. The chairs will go also – just gotta give Smuffy the time to get my new old ones re-done. Poor fella.
I’m hoping the reveal of this mess may help someone else who is going through something similar and knows that you can’t eat out all the time – not if you want to be trim, healthy and pay for a renovation! The last thing we need around here is for me or Smuffy to get sick in the middle of the remodel. That happened to us years ago and I still have PTKSS (Post Traumatic Kitchen Stall Syndrome) from that experience that put us three weeks behind and left us with a two-year-old and nothing – nothing – but a microwave in the otherwise empty kitchen for the whole time.
I followed my original plan for daily function by shoving my dining room table as far over as possible to make room for incoming cabinets and then filling it with everything we’d be needing on a daily basis. I covered it with a felt-backed vinyl tablecloth first so that it would survive the ordeal.
Tall items at the back included a rack of plates and bowls, a spice rack and the mixer. In front of that, I lined up glassware and often used items such as salt and pepper, olive oil and salad vinegar, nuts, jars of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and other things we grab to snack on and, of course, my big, fat jar of Dutch cocoa powder because, though I may not have a kitchen, I’ve gotta live!
I left an empty strip along the front for food prep and placed a cutting mat there. This area also serves to hold the hot plate, crock-pot or whatever else may be in use at times when Smuffy is pounding away and I can’t get into the kitchen at all.
Smuffy had built huge new drawers for the new kitchen, but prior to them being installed, I stacked them on one another and filled the top one with flatware and utensils so they’d be in easy reach. Needless to say, we fill our plates and head into the living room to eat.
My “buffet” (I think this is, in reality, a gentleman’s dresser that has seen changes over time) now serves as Appliance Row with the food processor, blender and toaster oven perched atop a towel and ready to go when I need them. One of my old wall cabinets got its doors removed and is shoved against a wall and filled with plasticware and other food prep items we might want to grab.
Over in the “new” kitchen, once Smuffy got the base cabinets in, I was relieved to find that the holes in the tops were the perfect size to catch the rims of my cookie sheets! We take our small blessings where we can find them and give thanks for them. I filled in an area and plopped in some cutting boards. Then, as if in direct answer to prayer, Smuffy discovered that one of our old cabinet doors dropped in perfectly to another cabinet top! We celebrated that discovery by placing the hot plate there and felt like we were really getting somewhere! Sort of.
The problem remained that we had no water. Family came to the rescue, sending us jugs of drinking water, but as for rinsing things for the dishwasher and washing up anything extra, we were running back and forth to the bathtub.
That is, until that glorious day! Smuffy, that man of many talents, installed a true farmhouse sink!
I’m feeling mighty stylish over here! This is where we stand until countertops are finalized. I love the way he placed the decorative part to the front so I would remember not to insert the grandchild.
Take heart if you are in the midst of a makeover. We’ll get through. When? I have no idea. In the meantime, I’m fixing healthy, balanced meals or pulling out frozen versions of the same that I prepared in advance and stashed in the freezer. In case you didn’t notice the bottle warmer and formula in the photos, I’ll point out that I am caring for my four-month-old grandbaby most days in the midst of it all. I have to admit there are days when I’m just a tad pooped.
If you have a friend in the middle of a renovation and finding themselves disheartened, share this post. It helps to know you’re not alone.
That’s the tour of my Not-A-Kitchen. Stay tuned for what I hope will be next – my pantry and remaining cabinetry and their insides. Then, countertops! I’m expecting to be downright giddy when that happens.
Now I’m leaving you hanging again. I’ll bet this has your curiosity piqued more than back when some of you were wondering who shot J. R. Others will have to do a search on that. Life With Smuffy is never dull. That’s why he has his own page here on the blog. (He’s not all about construction, you know.) If you need adventure and laughs, check that out.
I’ll be sharing some of the meals I made ahead in order to get through this. and some of the ones I was able to whip up without losing my marbles in my Not-A-Kitchen.
Can I have your kitchen remodel ideas? What would you have in your dream kitchen that you don’t have now? Leave a comment!
Our world has changed much these last several weeks and at no time have we been more aware of it so far than in preparing to change how we spend the next three days.
Many have taken a hit because of the corona virus. Some have lost loved ones, some are working exhausting, back-breaking shifts while others only wish they had a job to go to. The rest of us, here in the United States, are plodding along, wondering when we can again spend a day doing something we once took for granted – running errands.
The worldwide celebrations of Passover and The Resurrection of Christ have to rank at the top of the list of things Jews and Christians never thought they’d do without attending the largest faith gathering of the year, not to mention home gatherings to celebrate with family and friends. We thrive when we practice our faith and share our holy days with one another and we’re feeling a bit cheated this year.
I just can’t go along with the idea that these events “got cancelled”! Maybe we’ve forgotten that on the first Passover, Hebrew families were huddled, each in their own dwelling, partaking of a meal as instructed by God in order that the angel of death might pass over. And what happened the following morning? They were set free from cruel taskmasters and the bondage that had been their way of life for four hundred years. Perhaps we’ve forgotten that when Jesus, our Perfect Passover Lamb, lay in His borrowed tomb, all his followers scattered each to their own homes, hiding. No throng gathered at the entrance to that tomb on Sunday morning to celebrate the Big Day. They were, for the most part, each in their homes, confused and scared.
Neither group called it “social distancing”, but when you’re shutting yourself away from deadly plague or staying inside so that no one recognizes you and reports you to the authorities, it amounts to the same thing and reminds us that our situation is mild in comparison.
If you knew you had the cure for cancer, would you keep it hidden, or would you share it with the world, hoping to save even one who might listen?
I believe there’s an answer. I won’t tell anyone else what they must believe, but neither will I hide “the Cure” when people all over the world are suffering.
I believe in the loving God who calls his people to pray and then answers. I believe Scriptures hold examples, instructions and insights on how to pray. I believe in “standing on the promises” as the old hymn goes! I believe now is the time, this special weekend, when we’ve been offered a quiet time with just those few closest to us, to pray like we’ve never prayed before – to be bold in coming before God’s throne to ask that this plague on our health and our economy might “pass over”!
I’m asking my readers to join me and to SHARE this prayer right away with all your friends and family so that we can stand on these promises together, fasten our spiritual seat belts and see what the Deliverer will do if we will but ask. Scripture references are included to encourage you to delve into God’s Word and see what He promises (and also so you won’t think I’ve been nipping into the hand sanitizer).
I hope this has inspired you to pray and believe for an answer. I encourage you to print this out and read it aloud together with those you celebrate with this weekend. I’ve included a FREE easy-to-read PRINTABLE HERE.
Wherever you are, may you have a Blessed Passover and a Glorious Resurrection Day and may we celebrate next year together!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” —Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
How have you adapted your celebrations during this season of social distancing? What great food ideas have you invented because you might not have been able to get your hands on the usual ingredients? How have you decorated when you haven’t been able to acquire a few new things? Leave a comment and give us all your tips!
Do you tend to procrastinate when preparing for the holidays? Midwest Storyteller wants to knock one thing off your list and help you get prepared. I’m one of those people who likes to take one season at a time. I love to decorate for fall and I love celebrating Thanksgiving from its current blessings all the way back to its historical roots in Plymouth Colony. Only after that am I in the mood for Bing Crosby, shopping and decorating.
However, since December’s First Friday will fall on the 6th, that seemed almost a week late for me to offer you this and then send it out. Take a look at November’s First Friday Freebie –
I’ve bundled these
great gift tags together to help you spiff up all those bags and packages for
Christmas, birthdays and more. There are
56 in all. Each package contains eight
fancy gift tags and I’ve even thrown in some of my own homemade creations. You can recognize those by the ribbon ties.
These fun tags are from madeforretail.com and Allinthecards and I think I’ve chosen a great array for you. The set includes bronze and silver glittered tags, various shapes in silver foil prints, rose gold borders, stripes, polka dots, chevrons, the water color add-on pack along with my own Christmas versions. With strings and ribbons attached, they are ready to add to your boxes and bags. The majority are “all occasion” rather than seasonal which always makes life easier. You can always enhance them or make them more seasonal with press-on jewels, stickers or other fun art. The kiddos would love to do that!
If you’d like to
win the collection of 56 fabulous tags, all you have to do is leave a comment on
this blog post saying, “Tag me, Midwest Storyteller!”
You’ll need to do
that before midnight TONIGHT, November 1st, 2019!
Important: Once you’ve entered, you MUST keep checking
the email address you used to subscribe or you may not know you’ve won and have
to forfeit your free gift. Also,
remember that this particular comment must be made here on the blog post and
not on Facebook or other social media sites.
My Freebies always
happen on the First Friday of each month and last for one day only. Spread the word to your friends and family
TODAY through social media, send them the link in an email or just tell them, “It’s
Freebie Day!”
Make your way to
the comment section now before you forget!
That, my friends, starts to happen more often as the holiday season gets
busy.
First Friday Freebies
are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. You’ll
find a subscription area in the right sidebar or you can use the menu to
navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller
if you haven’t done so already. Confirming your subscription through the
confirmation email you’ll receive is absolutely necessary, so don’t forget
that!
The Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest icons on this page are there to help you
share.
Past gifts and their happy winners are on my “Freebies”page.
Remember, a winner
will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight
by leaving a comment which says, “Tag me, Midwest Storyteller!”
I send Freebies to any winner who lives within the continental United States. For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, CLICK HERE.
Glitches
happen. If you subscribe and do not
receive a confirmation email for some reason, please email me and let me know
at barb@midweststoryteller.com
I’m thankful for
each and every one of you. As we enter
into this special season of Thanksgiving, make it a habit to tell the special people
in your life that they are a blessing!
My readers loved this month’s First Friday Freebie. I had people contacting me to ask where they could get one of these for themselves or a friend.
Only
one person, however, could be the recipient of this great scarf for free. Let’s meet –
Sandy
from Boonville, Missouri
This wonderful
infinity scarf with a hidden pocket will be just right for all your outings
this fall, Sandy. The pocket with zipper
closure is ample in size to accommodate your keys, phone, passport or whatever
you want to tuck away so you can be hands-free to go for a walk, romp with the
kiddos or hop on a plane.
Sandy
followed the instructions and commented as when she received her email on the
first Friday of the month. That’s all it
took to enter her name into the drawing.
Freebies
are my way of reaching out to more folks who might enjoy the various stories,
recipes and more here at Midwest Storyteller.
Why not share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
Pinterest so they’ll be able to subscribe?
Subscribing is every bit as free as the freebie!
Freebies happen every month. Check out my Freebies pageto see the winner and the free gifts they’ve won.
The November drawing is coming on up Friday, November 1st.
A
winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on
the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you
will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email
often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the
prize from being offered to someone else.
Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These
four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on November 1st,
2019.
Leave
a comment! On a desktop computer, scroll
back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a
Comment” at the bottom of the post.
The month of September and summer have slipped past in a whirlwind. So much so that here it is October and I am just announcing September’s First Friday Freebie winner. Have you forgotten these beautiful “paper” earrings?
No, I didn’t forget to give them away. They found their new home soon enough – it was the announcement that lagged.
Let’s meet the winner and wearer –
Ginger
from Prairie Home, Missouri
They look just great on you, Ginger! At their core, these lovely earrings really are paper. Many steps are included in the process that transforms them so that they look like metal under glass. You can see the original post offering the earrings here.
Congratulations,
Ginger, and enjoy!
All
Ginger had to do was comment as directed when she received her email on the
first Friday of the month. That’s all it
took to enter her name into the drawing.
Freebies
are my way of reaching out to more folks who might enjoy the various stories,
recipes and more here at Midwest Storyteller.
Why not share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
Pinterest so they’ll be able to subscribe?
Subscribing is every bit as free as the freebie!
Freebies happen every month. You might be wondering if the gifts are worth the effort. Check out my Freebies pageto see the winner and the free gifts they’ve won.
The October drawing is coming on up Friday, October
4th.
A
winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on
the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
An
important thing to remember is that should your name be drawn as the winner,
you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email
often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the
prize from being offered to someone else.
Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These
four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on October 4th,
2019.
Leave a comment! Have you ever tried making your own jewelry? I’d love to hear your creative ideas!
We welcomed August with a pineapple, a symbol of welcome, or perhaps not, as we discussed in the original post. Let’s see who won the drawing for the First Friday Freebie and welcomed it into their home –
Eva
from New Franklin, Missouri!
This shabby little bit of metal décor from Hobby Lobby will liven up Eva’s walls, that is, if her daughter doesn’t latch onto it for her own room. I’m told she’s enjoying a pineapple craze at the moment. Do teenagers do that?
Congratulations and enjoy, Eva – whichever one of you ends up with it!
Eva has entered to win multiple times as one of my faithful subscribers. She commented as instructed when she received her email on the first Friday of the month. That’s all it took to enter her name into the drawing.
Freebies are my way of reaching out to more folks who might enjoy the various stories, recipes and more here at Midwest Storyteller. Seriously now, would you want one of your friends to miss an episode of my Life with Smuffy? Why not share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest so they’ll be able to subscribe? Subscribing is every bit as free as the freebie!
Freebies happen every month. Check out my Freebies pageto see the winner and the free gifts they’ve won.
The August drawing is coming on up Friday, September
6th.
A
winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on
the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
An
important thing to remember is that should your name be drawn as the winner,
you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email
often in the days following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the
prize from being offered to someone else.
Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These
four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on September 6th,
2019.
Leave
a comment! On a desktop computer, scroll
back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a
Comment” at the bottom of the post.
We’ve been in celebration mode around here and midnight approaches as I type this post. Independence Day is big stuff in our family. Not only is it the birthday of the Good Ole’ USA – it’s Smuffy’s birthday as well. I’m afraid the announcement of July’s First Friday Freebie has only existed in the recesses of my mind due to all the other things at the top of my list.
Now that the fireworks ash has settled, let’s take a look at July’s Freebie –
Everyone loves a little word art these days and this bit of wood and metal is just the thing to remind us that the smallest things in life that bring us the most joy. When we lose the ability to appreciate a baby’s cooing, a flaming sunset, the purring of a kitten or the idea of winning a gift we can keep for ourselves or give away to bless someone else, we likely have become obsessed with things that don’t really matter in the long run.
This 6”X6” wooden reverse box-top is deep enough to sit on a shelf without toppling if you choose not to hang it on the wall and the raised metal lettering is eye-catching and stylish for anyone’s décor. I left the corner protectors on for this photo, but you get the idea.
All my Freebies
occur on the First Friday of each month and last for one day only, so share
with all your friends and family TODAY through social media, that dinosaur of a
thing called email or that rarely used technique of communicating called
conversation.
Good intentions
will not help you enter to win before midnight tonight so you had better
navigate to the comment section now and do that before you forget!
To enter to win
the wood and metal reverse box-top décor, all you need to do is “Leave a
Comment” on this post, saying, “I enjoy the little freebies!” You’ll need to do that before midnight
TONIGHT, June 5th, 2019!
First Friday
Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.
You can subscribe by going to the right sidebar or use the menu to
navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller
if you haven’t done so already.
Confirming your subscription through the confirmation email you’ll
receive is absolutely necessary, so don’t forget that!
Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest are great ways to share First Friday Freebies
with your friends. They won’t know if
you don’t tell them!
Subscribers win every single month! See past gifts and their winners on my “Freebies”page.
Remember, a winner
will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight
by leaving a comment which says, “I enjoy the little freebies!”
I send First Friday Freebies out to any winner who lives within the continental United States. For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, CLICK HERE.
Glitches
happen. If you subscribe and do not
receive a confirmation email for some reason, please email me and let me know
at barb@midweststoryteller.com
Freebies last one
day only! Enter now so you don’t forget!
We’ll never be able to say that it doesn’t pay to try, try and try again. Let’s meet (again) the latest winner of my First Friday Freebie –
Donna
from Bunceton, Missouri!
I
would like to start out by saying (“scout’s honor” if I had been any sort of
scout, but I wasn’t, so you’ll have to take me at my word) that this monthly
drawing is not rigged. Perhaps you’ve
noticed that Donna has now won the First Friday Freebie three times. Perhaps you
didn’t notice, and in that case, I’m sorry I brought the whole thing up.
The
other thing that maybe some of you know and many of you don’t is that Donna is
also my sister! There is nothing in the
rules that says that my relatives can’t enter to win, but this is getting
ridiculous! No matter how I adjust my
poker face, or display the backs of the little slips of paper with entries
written on them, Smuffy’s hand just randomly snatches Donna’s name out every so
often as though by some magnetic force.
Anyway,
congratulations, Donna!
I hope you enjoy your set of handcrafted, up-cycled, sparkly gift bags and I hope they bring joy to whomever you bless when you give them away with gifts inside.
The gift bags were an art project of mine. If you’d like to see how I take store merchandizing bags and turn them into beautiful gift bags, click here. To see the original freebie offer, click here.
To all my readers, I’d like you to climb on board the “Stop Donna Express”! I can only think of one way to stop my sister from becoming like one of those Jeopardy contestants who just can’t seem to go home and that is if YOU lower her odds by entering to win and share Midwest Storyteller with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest (or be old fashioned about it and tell them to subscribe so they’ll be able do the same. Subscribers receive an email on the first Friday each month reminding them to leave a comment that will enter their name in the drawing.
A freebie offer appears the first Friday of every month. Check out my Freebies pageto see the winner and their free gifts they’ve won here at Midwest Storyteller.
June’s drawing is right around the corner – June 7th, to be exact. Donna is bound to enter, but the question is, will you?
I’m offering you two today with FREE printables! (I always aim to please.)
The journey toward
a good gluten-free pancake has been a frustrating one. When I started my clean eating journey, I
couldn’t help but think that all those poor dears out there in cyber-land who
posted their recipes on the internet for the rest of us were living in a state
of such desperate deprivation they no longer knew what a pancake was! If it held to a disc shape and supported a
pat of butter and a drizzle of syrup, they thought they had something.
In the beginning,
I ate no grains at all for three months to give my system a total rest.
I started with coconut flour pancakes. The best coconut flour version I found after much trial and error were made from a recipe by Dr. Bruce Fife in a wonderful book called, “The Coconut-Ketogenic Diet”. I’ve poured over that book and made many of the recipes and contacted Dr. Fife and received permission to share short quotes and recipes here on the blog. We’ll save that for another day as we are on the subject of sourdough. I mean no disrespect to Dr. Fife when I say (while I linger upon this tangent for a few more seconds) that this is a really bad title for a really great book! It should be called something like, “A Manual for the Human Body and a Bunch of Stuff About Coconuts I Betcha Didn’t Know”. You’ll learn a lot about yourself even if you never follow his weight loss plan . (I didn’t.) You’ll find it right here on Amazon.
Now, let’s take that sourdough starter and make some real pancakes. As always, I tinker with recipes until I feel like they are worthy of passing on to you. This one began with a recipe I found at www.artofgluten-freebaking.com I’ll be going back to that site for more ideas now that these pancakes are such a hit with Smuffy. He says they’re the best pancakes I’ve ever made for him. The original recipe made lots more pancakes, so feel free to double my recipe if you have a large family. I changed a few other things as well as using the Gluten-Free Flour Blend I shared here on the blog.
Another
aggravating situation one finds oneself in when walking away from most grains
is the agony of the unfulfilled pizza craving.
Yes, I know all those people out there are mushing cauliflower together
and calling it pizza crust, but sometimes you just want real pizza – pizza you
can pick up in your hands and bite into its crispy crust instead of forking it.
Again, I found a recipe and started tweaking. This great version of Gluten-free Sourdough Pizza Dough, originally given by Emily at www.fermentingforfoodies.com got me off to a great start. With a few changes to align it with my commitment to clean eating, I’m really pleased to be enjoying pizza again.
Pizza and Pancakes – isn’t life grand? Let’s get that sourdough out of the refrigerator and let it poof up on the counter for a couple of hours and get started!
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 extra-large egg,
beaten
Instructions:
The night before (or at least 2 hours before)
make a “sponge” by mixing the sourdough starter, ¾ cup milk and half the flour
in a large bowl, stirring until combined.
The mixture may have lumps and that’s fine.
When
you are ready to make pancakes or waffles, preheat the griddle to medium-high
or heat the iron.
Mix
the remaining flour, salt, soda, and baking powder together in a bowl and
stir. Add to the sponge, along with the
remaining ingredients and stir until well blended, adding more milk if needed.
For
pancakes, oil the surface of the griddle with coconut oil and pour 1/3 cup
portions of batter onto the surface, cooking until edges appear dry and bubbles
form over the surface. Flip and cook for
an additional minute.
For
waffles: Grease the iron with oil before
making each waffle. Follow your iron’s
directions, which likely require a cup of batter and five minutes cooking time
for deep pocket waffles.
YIELD: 8 or 9 pancakes.
I’ve actually not made these up into waffles yet, so I can’t testify
as to how they turn out.
Now that we’ve had a fabulous breakfast, let’s move on to pizza!
Mix all ingredients together in a large
bowl. You want a fairly firm dough, so
you may have to add a bit more flour depending on the feel.
Allow
to rest, covered, in a warm place for 2-4 hours.
Divide
into two balls and roll out onto parchment paper. Crusts will be very thin. If you prefer a thicker crust, you may not
want to divide the dough. If you like
thin crust, but don’t want to bake them both at once, wrap one of the dough balls
in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap to freeze until needed. Thaw overnight or for several hours prior to
rolling out for baking.
Pre-bake
the crusts in pre-heated 425° Fahrenheit (or 200° Celsius) oven for ten minutes
by placing the parchment directly on the oven racks or on a preheated pizza
stone, whichever way gives you the crispness you desire.
Remove
crusts from the oven and top with your favorite ingredients. Return the pizza to the oven and take an
additional ten minutes or until the cheese is melted and crust is beginning to
brown.
When it comes to pizza, Smuffy is in love with the pizza sauce I make it with my homemade tomato paste from the tomatoes in our garden. Did I mention that Smuffy is the local Tomato King? At least he was last year! Take at look at his tomato patch. It actually got quite a bit bigger than this!
You must know,
however, that while tomato paste is as easy as putting the little darlings in
the food processor, making a puree and then simmering them on the stove until
they are as thick as the paste you buy in the store, there is a down side. It takes a good long while. San Marzano paste tomatoes are ideal, as they
have little juice and speed things up a bit, but still, you’ll need to do it
when you are going to be around the house for a while. Also, I’ve found that two pounds of tomatoes
yields 1 cup of paste – so there’s that to consider.
Once I’ve
slathered my pre-baked crust with ½ to ¾ cup of pizza sauce, I love to go crazy
with the veggies. I mound the pizza high
with fresh spinach (but only my half as Smuffy doesn’t care for it) and then
follow with thin-sliced onions, green pepper, sliced mushrooms, turkey pepperoni
and six ounces of shredded mozzarella.
We prefer turkey pepperoni as it tastes the same to us, yet doesn’t leave a giant grease puddle under each slice. Use anything you like. Here’s one I made with chicken.
If you’ve been
looking for gluten-free options for pancakes and pizza, I think your family
will really like these recipes. Please
comment and let me know! Happy cooking!
Soon I’ll be
sharing a faux-carb pizza dough along with my recipe for home-made pizza sauce
with no sugar or artificial sweeteners. (Try to find that in the stores!)
What’s all the fuss about eating healthy? We shouldn’t just survive, we should thrive! Check out my Thrive! page.
There’s still that
Smuffy story brewing and I think Phoebe June has some thoughts on spring she’d
like to share, so stay with us!
Be sure to
SUBSCRIBE, so you’ll receive an email reminder each time Midwest Storyteller
has something new.
The First Friday Freebie for March has found the perfect home!
Ruth
of St. Louis, Missouri!
Ruth was kind enough to email me a photo. She assures me that she is an avid reader and is tickled pink to receive her free autographed copy of “Pathways of the Heart” by Diane Yates. There’s something mysterious in the way Smuffy’s fingers reach out for just the right name. It’s as though, somehow, they just know.
Congratulations,
Ruth! You’re going to want to read the
continuing story, “All That Matters”, too.
Here’s a photo of them both.
If you’re feeling sad that you didn’t win this book by Diane Yates, remember you can visit www.dianeyates.com for access to her books, blog and more. Another thanks to Diane for donating a copy of her book to Midwest Storyteller. For my thoughts on “Pathways of the Heart” and an interview with Diane Yates, click here.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.
Of
course, I’m giving away another freebie on the first Friday of every month, so
be sure to subscribe, if you haven’t already, and watch for the email you’ll
receive on Friday, April 5th.
Visit the Freebies page where you can see what subscribers of Midwest Storyteller have been winning.
MORE
ABOUT FREEBIES: A winner will be chosen
at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the
drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post. See the recently revised rules below.
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on April 5th.
Oh, and Happy Spring! It’s been a long winter and I’m lovin’ this!
“Share”,
“like” and “pin” this post! You’re
friends will want to enter to win, too!
Enjoying
the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up
under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a
Comment” at the bottom of the post.
I just heard the
extended weather forecast. Cold. Snow. More
arctic air has us in its sights and it looks like March is not going to lure us
outdoors in our shirt sleeves, at least those of us who live anywhere in the
Midwest. But, then again, it just snowed
in Las Vegas, so I suppose few of us here in the U.S. will escape the
chill. We may dream of tiptoeing through
the tulips, but it’s only a dream, lest we catch cold.
That makes March the perfect time to curl up with a good book! I want to give a special thanks to Diane Yates for providing this month’s First Friday Freebie!
If you’ll remember, I recently did an interview with Diane and a review of her first book, “Pathways of the Heart”. You can catch up on that here in case you missed it. In my post, I shared about how I met Diane, how much she has helped me in my writing endeavors and my thoughts and gleanings from “Pathways of the Heart”.
Now, Diane is
graciously giving one of you the opportunity to receive this autographed copy
of “Pathways of the Heart” absolutely free!
What better way to curl up with a cup of tea (or hot chocolate) and
pretend the cold winds aren’t howling
outside?
To enter to win “Pathways
of the Heart”, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post,
saying, “I’m ready for a good read!”
You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, March 1st,
2019!
First Friday
Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or
use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to
Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will
enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the
blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a
winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before
midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’m ready for a good
read!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
Four simple steps!
Don’t let the day
slip away! Subscribe now if you haven’t
already, and confirm in your email before you forget!
Spring, I promise,
is on the way. It’s never failed me
yet. Well, except for maybe last year
when it came for two days and then vanished.
I’d have thrown a temper tantrum, but it was 90 degrees and so humid
that I couldn’t muster up the energy.
May our 2019 bring delightful days that, like treasured loved ones, come
early and stay late!
Comments or
questions? I’d love to hear from
you! Please leave a comment telling me
what good books you’ve read lately. I’m
curious – what is your favorite book of all time?
My most recent First Friday Freebie went to a familiar face! Let’s take a look at the winner –
Donna
from Bunceton, Missouri!
Donna has won once before and her name popped up again this time when Smuffy did his duty, following my instructions to and “picked a card – any card”.
Congratulations, Donna! I hope you enjoy your “Love Deeply” word art plaque from Hobby Lobby, not just as Valentine décor, but all year round!
Here’s
another view of Donna’s gift.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.
A freebie offer appears the first Friday of every month. Check out the freebie page to see what people have been winning here at Midwest Storyteller.
Subscribe now and you’ll be notified via email
of March’s drawing. You never know what
it might be.
The
next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, March 1, 2019 and only
SUBSCRIBERS can win!
A
winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before
midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in
the post. See the recently revised rules
below.
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
These
four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on March 1st.
“Share”,
“like” and “pin” this post! You’re friends will want to enter to win,
too!
Enjoying
the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up
under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a
Comment” at the bottom of the post.
Welcome to
February! I love gift-giving and I wish
I could send this First Friday Freebie out to all my subscribers as my Valentine to you. Ah, if only…
But, I can send it
out, as always, to the winner of the February drawing!
Let’s take a look –
During this month when we celebrate love and take special time out to tell people how much they mean to us, this wooden plaque serves as a great reminder. It measures 5.91”X7.87” and has a hinged easel attached so you’ll be able to tuck it in amongst the décor on your mantle or anywhere else you choose.
I love that it is
not “seasonal”. After all, love never
goes out of style or out of season, does it? You can display it year round and it will add
a great “farmhouse touch” to your home’s décor.
Roaming through aisles of home décor never goes out of style either and I hope you enjoy this Hobby Lobby find.
To enter to win
the “Love Deeply” plaque, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on
this post, saying, “I LOVE First Friday Freebies!” You’ll need to do that before midnight
TONIGHT, February 1st, 2019!
First Friday
Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so if you’ve not become a subscriber
to Midwest Storyteller yet, give yourself a little love gift by heading over to
the right sidebar or using the menu to get to the “Contact Me” page
and subscribe if you haven’t done so already.
Share Midwest
Storyteller with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and Pinterest so they can enter to win and begin enjoying all the great
stories, recipes, tips for healthy living, product reviews and more!
Subscribers win every single month! Visit the “Freebies”page to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a
winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before
midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I LOVE First
Friday Freebies!”
And now, here are
the complete rules:
Four simple steps!
The clock is
ticking! Subscribe if you haven’t
already, confirm in your email and comment to enter before midnight tonight,
February 1st!
Enjoy this
sparkling winter month by letting those you love know just how special they are
to you. Hint: This First Friday Freebie
would make a great gift for your Valentine!
I’ll be honest. If the super bowl failed to take place, I probably wouldn’t know it until I got out and about and some grief-stricken fan informed me and even at that, I’d give it a shrug, try my best to register sympathy and concern and force myself to say, “Really? Oh, my!”
But they had better not cancel National Hot Chocolate Day! I’m into this one – big time! I can hear your shouts of “Amen!” to that. It gives us all permission to stop, smell the cocoa and just be still for a bit while we enjoy that mug (or, in my case, tankard, says Smuffy) of smooth chocolate wonderfulness.
But what about those of us who are watching the waistline or those who have come to the realization that, if we care about our health, sugar has got to go?
Speaking of love, within that post is a great recipe for Eat ‘Em All Chocolate Covered Strawberries – another way to indulge without the sugar and without sacrificing yummy flavor. This recipe will carry you through Valentine’s Day without the guilt.
Click on the FREE PRINTABLE banner at the bottom of the original post and you’ll be able to easily print those out to add to your recipe collection.
I’m off now to find my tankard and indulge. In case you’re a little foggy on where to begin, let me show you the ingredients that will help you get the most out of National Hot Chocolate Day –
That’s right! All you need to make your day complete:
Cozy Chair
Furry Throw
One Tankard (or maybe two) Not Apologizin’ Hot Chocolate
One Sleepy Kitten
Gather your supplies and enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE NOW – First Friday Freebie Day is on the way for subscribers only!
READERS TAKE NOTE: This soup recipe was posted prior to my eating according to the Trim Healthy Mama plan or becoming a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach. It would qualify as an “S Helper” or a “Crossover” depending on the amount of sweet potatoes you add or the amount of soup you consume. Keep that in mind when planning your meal. This one is WORTH IT, so at least have it for special occasions!
For those of you who read my earlier post about this fabulous soup but never took the time to stir up a batch – this is for you!
Each year for the last six years, I enter a soup in a contest that our church sponsors for the benefit of the area food bank. Soups – LOTS of soups – are judged (rather scientifically, I must say) on taste/flavor/texture, appearance, Originality/Creativity, Appeal (Would a wide variety of the general population want to try this soup?) and Aroma. “Golden” (but most certainly not food safe) ladles are awarded to the top five soups. Then, the soups are served to the throng of two hundred or so salivating soup lovers at $5 per cup for the winners and $1 per cup for all the others. I’ve taken home five golden ladles so far.
So, what can I say? I am some sort of Soup Queen, I suppose. Just don’t ask me to make gravy. I mean that – never let me make the gravy!
This year, I decided to re-enter my soup that won five years ago. I invented this soup just after I made changes to my eating plan that included getting all sugars and grains out of my diet, so if you are looking for gluten-free recipes that won’t make you feel that you are missing out on a thing – this one’s for you! It’s a winner twice over for a very good reason. It is fabulous!
The original post gives detailed instructions on how to make Creamy Leek Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato here, and it also offers a free printable recipe so check it out and, by all means, make a batch!
I did have a friend tell me that she used a substitute for the cream to accommodate her dairy-free diet and still her husband said it was the best soup he’d ever eaten in his life!
Here I am, honored to stand with the other winners (minus Larry, who somehow wandered off just before the announcement).
All the great recipes on my Food Freedom page come with free printables, so you can put them all in a notebook and try them out soon. I do my best to offer you healthy recipes that won’t make you feel deprived or overworked.
We are due to have a high temperature here tomorrow of 4 degrees. Sounds like soup weather to me!
NOTE TO READERS: These recipes are old family favorites that appeared here on my blog prior to myeating according to the Trim Healthy Mama plan or becoming a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach. While they taste fabulous, I cannot recommend them for healthy lifestyle or blood sugar control. However, I am working on adapting them to the plan so watch for future posts!
I promised to share this “award winning” recipe. I believe it was back when the trees were shedding their leaves of red and gold. Lately they’ve been laden with heavy snow – perfect weather to cozy up with some real comfort food and a bean story!
This recipe is an old favorite for my family. I found the original in one of those tiny booklets that came with the old-style Crock-pots. You know the kind I mean – the tall, skinny crock that did not lift away from the heating base, making it very difficult to clean. Their thermostats seemed to come with unexplained variances. My mom’s didn’t seem to have a LOW setting. It just boiled away no matter how you adjusted the knob while mine, on the same setting, would make you wait a couple of days for your dinner.
That little book
contained an entry that did little to tempt the imagination or the palate. It offered up, simply, the “One Pot
Dinner”. I’d never tried the recipe
because, frankly, it just didn’t strike a chord within my romantic nature. I’m the “Anne of Green Gables” type and am
inclined to agree with her theories on naming things. (Example: Why call it Barry’s Pond when you can call it
The Lake of Shining Waters?)
I have always been
this way.
Anyhow, a dear
friend of mine, upon hearing me say that I’d been in one of those moods that
leaves me only two options – escape for a change of pace or give in to a crying
jag – took pity on me and offered the use of her cabin in the woods. It may not have been a villa perched on the
Italian coastline, but it had three gleaming attractions. It was free.
It had indoor plumbing. It wasn’t
my house. I jumped at the offer.
I got excited. I wanted to crawl into Timber Hill and forget about the rest of the world. Our daughter would take a friend. There would be no TV and one emergency cell phone. We’d play a few board games. Smuffy would fish, explore and read books. I would read and take naps.
Ahh! Thanks, DeDe, for the memories (and the sanity check).
The last thing I wanted was to make endless trips to town for restaurant meals or supplies. I started charting meals like a paid planner. I wanted everything we ate to fit in with that log cabin feel. We would make homemade pancakes. I’d take homemade cinnamon rolls along to warm. Cornbread sounded good. For a main dish that would leave us lots of great-tasting leftovers, I wanted something special – something new. Research led me back to the lack-luster little Crock-pot book.
If these beans,
which sounded like they had possibilities, were going along on my grand
adventure, they simply couldn’t go as the “One Pot Dinner”. I re-named them “Timber Hill Beans” and they
were a huge hit, especially with Smuffy.
In all the years we were graciously invited to spend our fall retreat at
Timber Hill, we never left home without the namesake beans.
When our church
began to sponsor an annual “Souper Bowl of Caring” as a benefit for the area
food bank, they asked for soup – a lot
of soup. People brought in slow-cookers full
of deliciousness in hopes of taking home a golden ladle in a contest for top
soups.
Smuffy gave me a
meaningful look and prophesied, “If you take Timber Hill Beans, you’ll win!”
“You think
so?” I hadn’t given much thought to
entering the contest and I’d never really thought of those thick, hearty Timber
Hill Beans as “soup”.
“I know so!” He seemed certain of it.
I did come home with a golden ladle,
thanks to Timber Hill Beans and Smuffy’s encouragement!
I can’t help but wonder,
though, if “One Pot Dinner” would have ranked a little lower with the judges.
You may remember our educational and slightly embarrassing discussion on the subject of beans. You can refresh your memory here. Along with tips on cooking beans and avoiding their after-effects, I shared my own recipe for “Hearty, Healthy, Homemade Pork and Beans”. You’ll find a free printable recipe in the post. I now use these in my Timber Hill Beans to avoid the mushiness that usually results from overcooking canned beans, not to mention all the sugar and other nonsense that the canned versions contain. You can prepare these and the bacon a day or two before assembling this recipe. If you choose not to follow this simple, from-scratch step, you’ll need to substitute 4 (14 ounce) cans of pork ‘n beans and use care to avoid over-cooking them.
The other beans in this recipe are also not of the canned variety. If you absolutely do not want to rinse and soak your beans, you can use one can of kidney beans and one can of butter beans (drained and rinsed), but – I promise – you’ll be happier with the end results if you avoid the cans.
If you’re planning meals and feeding supper to hungry people, the best way is to brown the meat, prep the bacon and pork and beans a day or two before. Then, soak the beans overnight, get up in the morning dump everything into theCrock-pot, set it on LOW and don’t give it another thought until supper other than checking it when you get home to see if you need to adjust it to the WARM setting.
Let’s get cooking!
Timber Hill Beans
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or venison
1/2 pound uncured bacon, baked on a broiler pan in a 200-250
degree oven for about an hour. (Should
not be crispy, but have the better portion of the fat cooked out.)
3/4 cup red kidney beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
3/4 cup butter beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 cup catsup
1/4 cup palm sugar or raw honey
1 Tablespoon liquid smoke (or to taste)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon Celtic sea salt
Instructions:
Drain beans and rinse well. Brown ground meat and onion in skillet. Drain off fat. Cut bacon into one inch pieces. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5-9 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.
LOW is best in order to avoid sticking.
Makes 14 cups.
Over the years, I’ve
tweaked this recipe to take out refined sugars, avoid mushy canned beans and bring
it to “golden ladle standards”, so please comment and let me know how you like
it.
Normally, I steer away from adding corn to our diets anymore, mostly for the reasons given in this article by Dr. Axe and at the advice of my holistic M.D. Once in a while, however, Smuffy says the occasion calls for cornbread, I give in and we cheat. I’m giving you my Gluten-free cornbread recipe which includes a dry mix that you can whip up in a “jiffy”, if you get my drift. (Perhaps you don’t if that little item is available only here in the Midwest.) I hate having my cupboards full of endless little boxes and packets and feeling like I have to run to the store for something as simple as cornbread mix. Years ago, I figured out the secret to that little box mix everyone uses and I’m sharing it with you today.
A word about buttermilk: Smuffy and I often have differences of opinion on foods, but on buttermilk, we agree. We hate the stuff! It does make a fabulous batch of pancakes or cornbread, but we always had to throw out the leftovers. Keeping a dry buttermilk mix on hand solves the problem beautifully. Grocery stores will most likely have Saco“ Buttermilk Blend” in their baking section and if you can find a way to order in bulk, you can get a great price on a one-pound bag of buttermilk powder from Frontier Co-op Wholesale Store, where they have member and non/member pricing. They both keep well on the back bottom shelf of the refrigerator for what seems like forever.
Gluten-Free Cornbread or
Corn Muffins
(You may use all-purpose wheat flour rather than corn flour in
these recipes. If so, omit the xanthan gum and one of the eggs.
This option will, of course, not be gluten-free.)
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow organic, non-GMO cornmeal
1 cup organic, non-GMO corn flour
1/4 cup dry buttermilk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup water
1/4 cup raw honey
2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the
beaten eggs, water, honey and melted butter, mixing just until there are no dry
areas.
Pour into greased
muffin tins or a 9″X9″ baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for
about 25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.
Now for that mix to
keep help you whip up things in a “jiffy”.
Cornbread Mix for Recipes in a “Jiffy”
Mix the following ingredients together and in a “jiffy”,you’ll have the equivalent of the commonly used boxed mix.
1/2 cup yellow organic, non-GMO cornmeal
1/2 cup organic, non-GMO corn flour
2 Tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
Add 2 Tablespoons raw
honey to the recipe’s wet ingredients.
Thanks to the great folks at Crock-Pot.com for the original “One Pot Dinner” recipe and for all the improvements to the Crock-pot over the years. The newer versions, with their removable crockery, warming features, digital settings and – best of all – those clamp-on lids that put an end to nasty spills in the car have made life so much easier. Check out their latest products here. Hey there, sports fans! They even have NFL logo pots!
I confess to having four slow-cookers. My new favorite is this in-between size I found one day out flea-marketing. I like to think of it as a casserole. I find myself using it all the time.
Click below for your
free printable for Timber Hill Beans and Gluten-free Cornbread!
If you prefer biscuits over cornbread, check out my Zesty Pumpkin Soupwhich comes with a bonus recipe for Billy’s Biscuits. This savory soup is not what you’re expecting!
Questions? Comments?
“Leave a Comment”. And why not
SUBSCRIBE, so you’ll receive an email reminder each time Midwest Storyteller
has something new.
Sometimes
it pays to speak up! The squeaky wheel
gets the grease – right?
That’s
how this month’s First Friday Freebie winner managed to enter the drawing!
Let’s meet –
Carol
from Boonville, Missouri!
Carol
contacted me to say that she’d been having trouble trying to subscribe to the
blog. She’d wanted to enter the drawing
for the freebie, but hadn’t been able to get her subscription to go through,
receive her confirmation email, confirm through the email and so on.
I
told her to fear not, give it another try, and if for some reason I still didn’t
see her pop up as a subscriber, I would be sure to put her name into the
drawing along with everyone else who entered.
I’m
not going to exclude anyone who’s trying on account of a technicality.
Technology
– marvelous when it’s working – maddening when it’s not!
This
has happened to a couple of other people and I only know this, of course,
because they contacted me and let me know.
I have no way of knowing how many others may have had the same
experience but didn’t speak up, so if this has happened to you, please email me
at barb@midweststoryteller.com
and let me know.
It all paid off in the end for Carol, because when Smuffy reached in, he plucked her name out of all the others! I can also see now that her subscription went through as it should.
Congratulations,
Carol! I hope you enjoy your necklace!
Here’s a close-up view of the handmade paper necklace Carol won.
I know it looks like metal under glass, but it’s not! “Paper Jewelry” is a unique creation of mine. If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and get a better description, click here.
I’ve given away lots of great gifts, so check out the freebie page to see what people have been winning here.
Subscribe now so you can be ready for February’s drawing. It’ll be a freebie you’ll love!
The
next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, February 1, 2019 and only
SUBSCRIBERS can win (and, of course, those who are trying their doggoned-est)!
A
winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before
midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in
the post. See the recently revised rules
below.
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
Follow
these four simple steps and subscribe now.
Then, you’ll be ready for February 1st.
“Share”,
“like” and “pin” this post! You’re friends will want to enter to win,
too!
Have
an opinion on the Freebies? Leave a
comment! If you’re on your computer,
scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re
thinking. On various devices, you may
find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.
My cogs have been turning. My creativity seems to kick in and do double-time over the holidays and for my January First Friday Freebie, I wanted to offer you one of my recent works of art.
Not every creative idea of mine is a hit, as they say, “first crack out of the box”. There are days when I feel like the Queen of the Do-overs. This one, however, turned out great the first time! So, (…drumroll…) I now present my latest invention –
Paper
Jewelry!
I know, I know – you’re thinking, “Paper? No Way!” I’ve been brooding on this idea for months and I’ve searched online many times, thinking that some pioneer must have already blazed the trail, but I found absolutely nothing, even on Pinterest, that resembled the materials, techniques or results I was hoping would give me the type of thing I envisioned.
There are two reasons for my vision in the first place. One is that I compulsively invent things in my head all the time and then can’t resist piddling with them. The other is that I hate heavy jewelry, especially earrings, but I love big jewelry.
Finally, I had to
ask myself one of those questions like, “If I were paper jewelry, how would I
be made?”
The results are these beautiful cut-out pieces, specially treated so that you’ll never believe they are made of paper. The appearance is more like metal or wood under glass. Their featherweight quality is only discovered when you reach out and touch!
Are they durable, you ask? I’ve been pleased with how sturdy my technique has made the end product. I wouldn’t recommend sleeping in this type of jewelry, but I think it will do as well as much of the other costume jewelry found in stores (some of which I could crush in my bare hands even though they were metal or plastic).
I couldn’t wait to
give this one to you as January’s First Friday Freebie! This pendant is around 1 ¾ inches with a
16-18 inch chain. I know you’re going to
love the patina that gives it the somewhat the look of aged copper under
glass. Though the cut-out areas may look
open in the photo, they are not. They
are filled, yet crystal clear!
To enter to win
the paper pendant, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this
post, saying, “I’m ready for a brand new freebie!” You’ll need to do that before midnight
TONIGHT, January 4th, 2019!
First Friday
Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so if you’ve not become a subscriber
to Midwest Storyteller yet, give yourself a another free gift by heading over
to the right sidebar or using the menu to get to the “Contact Me”
page and subscribe if you haven’t done so already.
Share this blog
with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest
or by copying the link into an email so they can enter to win and begin
enjoying everything else on the blog as well!
Subscribers win every single month! Take a look at past freebies on the “Freebies”page to see what they’ve been winning.
If you’d like to take a look at some of the other creative ideas here on my blog, check out my“Create!” page!
Once again, a
winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before
midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’m ready for a
brand new freebie!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
Four simple steps!
Don’t delay! Time is running out! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm in
your email and comment to enter before midnight tonight, December 7th!
I pray you have a
marvelous, fabulous, bright, happy and prosperous New Year! And for one of you, may it start off with a
First Friday Freebie!
Ever wondered what sort of vibes your pets pick up on during the holidays? At times, they seem to know that something’s up – something’s different. Well, wonder no longer – Phoebe June’s diary has the blow-by-blow.
She’s now experienced her second Christmas and as I peek into her ponderings, see that she finds the holiday season full of ups and downs regardless of whether she’s a tiny puff-ball or a full grown epitome of feline perfection. Shortly after her adoption, she became aware of a certain something special in the air. Here are a few of her thoughts along with some photo art you and the kiddos might enjoy.
Friday, December 8, 2017
Mommy and I played so many games and toys when I got ‘dopted that I had to take naps and naps so I could grow fine and fancy.
She told me that Jesus was having a birthday and she had to do sneaky stuff so after she’d snuggle me to sleep, I’d finish my naps on the furry thing. I hoped I wouldn’t miss the big day, but Mommy said I’d get a special feeling and know when it happened because He was the one who made me so furry and cute and made sure I didn’t turn out to be a dog. I’m already liking this holiday.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017:
Yesterday, Mommy left me all alone and I cried. I cried a lot until I fell asleep. When she came home, she said I had accessories. Whatever they are, they had a funny smell so I sat on them and today she got me all accessorized and ready for the road. I thought we were going Christmas shopping.
We didn’t. We visited a man called Doctor Fray. He was nice and thought I was ‘dorable, but he smelled like all kinds of critters. It worried me at first but after a little bit I got bored and konked out on his table – most boring place ever and no special Christmas feeling here. Before I knew what was happening he gave me a pill and did a bad thing he called taking my temperature. It didn’t give me a warm and cozy Christmas feeling and next year I think I’ll give it a miss.
Thursday, December 14, 2017:
It got all snowy and blowy out the windows today and cold air whooshed my nose when Daddy came in and went out. Mommy calls it winter weather, but I don’t think it’s for kittens. Giving this part of Christmas a miss.
Friday, December 15, 2017:
Mommy says if you don’t work out you’ll get a Christmas pudge so I went along to visit Gym. Since Dr. Fray says I only weigh a couple of pounds myself, I don’t know what she expected me to do with Gym’s toys, so I think I’ll settle for the pudge. All Gym’s people thought I was cute as a button and gave me treats, so it was a hit after all.
After Gym, we picked up lunch for Daddy from some nice people who just hand the smelly stuff out in bags if you ask them nice. It was a hit with me and I gave the lady my best Christmas smile. She seemed surprised. I don’t know why – I smile at everybody.
Saturday, December 16, 2017:
We went to a birthday party – not Jesus’ party – one for Mommy’s and Daddy’s other sweetie-pie. They had a nice furry thing and that was a hit, but they told me afterward that they set their treats on fire before they ate them and if they do that again next year, I’m giving it a miss.
Monday, December 18, 2017:
Time (whatever that is) is running out, Mommy says, and that’s why we couldn’t snuggle much today. A kitten has to do what a kitten has to do. I’d rather have Mommy and give this new kid a miss.
When I woke up Mommy was wrapping boxes. That crinkly stuff is a hit with me! I tried to get onto the table where the action was, but for some reason I got in trouble with Mommy.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017:
Whatever hustle and bustle means, it keeps Mommy hopping. It’s a hit with me, though, ‘cause new stuff happens every minute, like boxes just my size, runs for the border and baskets of warm laundry.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
You never know about Daddy. He says it’s Christmas Eve and that’s special. One minute, we’re snuggling in the chair with our feet up. A kitten could get a cramp doing it like he does. The next minute he’s plunking me right into the cold, white stuff. There are some days I’m not sure Mommy should let him watch me!
Monday, December 25, 2017:
Christmas came today and Mommy was right – I could feel it.
I sniffed specialness (and a roast duck) in the air all day! I got toys and treats and that was a hit. I heard people say that that when there was no room for Jesus He got to have His birthday in a stable with all the animals and that they all got to talk that day and tell Him how special He was. The stable cat must have been what they call an ancestor of mine because I come from a long line of talkers who put the Mew in Mewey Christmas!
In the last year, Phoebe June has grown into a shining and
elegant example of cathood. Her
catitudes fluctuate wildly between those of that small kitten of a year ago to
those of a demanding adolescent who’s convinced that parental standards are
archaic and unnecessary.
She had, of course, strong opinions during the 2018 Christmas season and they mirror, to a degree, those of the previous year. I managed to snatch three snippets from her diary.
Thursday, November 29, 2018:
Mommy has ignored me off and on since Thanksgiving, but I’m forgiving her because she’s filled the whole place with wiggly, crinkly, rustly toys and the best one is this thing she thinks is a real tree but it’s not. She even put a special blanky under it for me to nap on so all I have to do is reach up and pull off the pretties I want! This thing is a HIT! Why they distract me with that stupid squirt bottle is a mystery, but you never can tell with Mommy and Daddy. Wish they’d give that thing a miss – it’s messing up my whole holiday season.
Monday, December 14, 2018:
Awesomeness popped out of a big box today and I got one of my Christmas presents early. It almost makes me want to forgive them for the squirt bottle. A jungle gym, scratcher-upper, flying mouse-birds, all combined with a napping cubby – this thing is better than Mommy’s tree – almost. Anyway, it’s a big hit!
Tuesday,December 25, 2018:
I had that warm and special feeling all day that you get just thinking about how Jesus came to live with us. They hand out treats and gifts because He is such a Gift, so I figured I may as well snooze until we got to that part. I wonder about Mommy sometimes. She gets tired getting ready for the big day and it makes her do the strangest things.
She dangled a sock for me – just one, mind you – not two or four. I guess the poor thing misplaced the others. It’s just as well. I wouldn’t have wanted to be seen wearing the gaudy things in public. Anyone could tell just by looking that she bought the wrong size. Later we peeked inside it and out popped a very interesting rodent. I ignored it just for show. That’s what I do.
I played in tissue and crawled in and out of boxes and bags for hours and not one squirt from that stupid water bottle! Ah, THIS is Christmas! Later, I found my new toy, named her Rhoda and gave her the bath she needed if she’s going to be living here.
People keep talking about coming up with resolutions for 2019. I have one. Somehow, before the next time the tree goes up, I’m going to track down that squirt bottle and give it a miss! I wonder how much litter it will take to bury that thing.
Loud-mouthed, opinionated and completely loveable – that’s
our Phoebe June! “Share”, “Like” and
“Pin” her thoughts and adventures with the cat-lovers in your life and stick
around – she’ll have more to say soon!
If you missed the first installment of “The Phoebe June Diaries”, you can catch up by clicking here. See how she celebrated National Cat Day here, and learn about how we became her forever family here!
I’d love to hear from you and so would Phoebe June so please LEAVE A COMMENT!
I’m thinking of moving the first of the year to a whole new date. Winter never makes me feel like starting over fresh and new. Perhaps we can take a poll here at Midwest Storyteller and decide when we all would prefer to have the calendar flip over. In the meantime…
To all my readers, I want to bless you with one of my favorite promises. It’s one of those promises that can’t be broken – because of the One who made it!
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'” Jeremiah 29:11 (The Holy Scriptures, NIV)
This is my blessing and my hope for you and your family for 2019!
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know when we can re-schedule this holiday! Brrrr….. Zzzzz....
Amid the rush of preparations for Christmas there are just some things that can’t be ignored. One has to make time to take a deep breath, listen to some Christmas music, spend quality time with friends and, oh, yes – have Smuffy draw out a winner for December’s First Friday Freebie!
We have another repeat winner. The winner of the lovely watch set is –
Ruby from Boonville, Missouri!
Ruby says she’d been watch shopping and when December’s freebie offer appeared in her email. The watch and its six coordinating bracelets seemed to be the perfect solution. All she had to do was to comment as directed in the post and then – just as if she and Smuffy had been of one mind – her name was drawn!
It’s great to know that my freebie winners are pleased with their gifts. Enjoy your watch, Ruby, and keep entering!
Subscribe now, if you haven’t already, because December is slipping away and with the hustle and bustle of the season, you’ll want to check that simple item off your list so that you won’t miss anything from Midwest Storyteller in 2019.
To see the original freebie offer, click here. The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, January 4, 2019 and only SUBSCRIBERS can win! A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post. See the recently revised rules below.
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
Follow these four simple steps and subscribe now. Then, you’ll be ready for January 4th.“Share”, “like” and “pin” this post! You’re friends will want to enter to win, too! Click here to go to my “Freebies” page and see what types of gifts my subscribers have been winning.
Have an opinion on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the day Phoebe June bounced into our lives, electrifying every nook and cranny of our world. And then there’s the noise. There’s a lot of that. As I shared earlier here, it would be no surprise to discover that Phoebe June kept a diary, as she’s as full of opinions as a stage director with a headache. I thought it fitting to start with her earliest musings. Please don’t tell her I snooped. I’ll never hear the end of it.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
I played and napped in the mudroom with my sissy today. Sissy’s fun, but not as much fun as me! Mommy Blair got grouchy again when we tried to have some milk, but Joy-lady fed us at the bowl and then let us run all over the house! Sissy’s a little scared of the Christmas tree, but not me! We heard the door and that dumb dog yelling. A lady came. Sissy peeked around the corner. I bounced around it. People need fun and I’m full of the stuff. The new lady smiled and scooped up Sissy. I watched.
No time for scooping – I zoomed under the Christmas tree – the sparkly-est, rustly-est, dangly-est thing ever! Joy-lady scooped me in the middle of a zoom and put me in the new lady’s lap. She likes me! I could tell by the way she …Zzzzzz….
Then, Sissy got scooped again. She didn’t say a word. I had to do all the talking as usual. The lady talked about Sissy’s pretty eyes and my pretty nose. She talked about it a lot. She called me “brave”. I think that means I like to zoom, zoom…zzzzz…
Anyway, she kissed us and promised to come back.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Joy-lady says it’s a special day. One of us is getting ‘dopted. Whatever that is, it’s already happened to Charlie and the others and I’m blaming the dog for it.
The nice lady came back with a man. She asked him over and over whether he liked shy Sissy’s sweet eyes or my beautiful velvet nose and my zoominess. I showed both of them what awesome cats are made of and zoomed and zoomed until I got tired and she scooped me again.
I guess getting ‘dopted means someone tucks your whole self inside their coat and makes you ride in a noise-box. I didn’t like the noise-box, but inside the coat, I felt the lady’s warm heart. She told me over and over and over that she was my new mommy. Every time I asked for Sissy and Mommy Blair, she just kept giving me more kisses. Silly thing! When the noise-box stopped, we got out and went into a new place. I got about a hundred more snuggles from my new mommy. Then, she put me down and started following me everywhere! I didn’t mind much – I had a grand explore – sniffed till my sniffer ached and told them what I thought of the place. It had a nice potty pan, some tasty food, feathery toys and about a million hidey-holes.
I checked for bedbugs and took a bath and then explored some more till my zoomer was all zoomed out. The lady put me in the man’s lap. I was all ready for a nice nap until he started barking.
The lady called him “Daddy” and said he had a nasty cough, but I know a bark when I hear one. It took me twenty minutes to settle my tail hairs down.
I may have a brain the size of a walnut, but I know a thing or two and this new mommy’s got what it takes! Her food is yummy, her robe is furry, she plays games and toys like a pro and I’m starting to get used to all the kissing. If she would only stop interrupting me when I’m talking! She calls me Phoebe June and I think I’ll let her ‘cause it sounds just right.
Each time I woke in the nighttime, all I had to do was reach up and pat my new mommy’s cheek and tell her about how I felt lost and how I couldn’t find Sissy or Mommy Blair. She’d snuzzle me close and promise to take care of me and be my Forever Mommy. When her eyes got all drippy, I knew she meant it.
I didn’t know how much I needed Phoebe June until I got her. She lives life large, intent on letting us know that she is a mighty huntress, has no intention of being left alone and would prefer that we pay close attention to her running commentary. Phoebe has two settings: “Park” and “Autobahn”. Smuffy and I are learning to live with her effusiveness and the high-speed zooming. It’s a little like having an emotionally needy child who is always following you everywhere, asking what you are doing now, insisting that you play games and that you sit down and pay attention to the umpteenth “show and tell” presentation – especially the “telling”.
I’ll have to be careful about it, but I’ll try to sneak another page of her diary and share it with you soon.
The clock has been ticking away all year and once again we find ourselves in the full rush of the holiday season. For our family, that means time together, feasting, gift-giving – all things we are so blessed we could do any time of the year if we chose to do so, but things we do now with extra joy in our hearts as we celebrate the birth of our Messiah.
I’ve always loved gift-giving! I love packages and bows and surprises and keeping secrets. I love decorating and food traditions and dressing up and …well, you get the idea.
I’m tempted to wrap this up and make it a holiday “mystery freebie”, but there are enough secrets this time of the year, right? Let’s take a peek –
This beautiful watch set will have your (or someone special) looking stylish at this year’s holiday gatherings. I’m loving this latest trend in rose gold. I think it’s so flattering to all skin tones. The watch has raised markers for each numeral and a second hand. The faux leather band is rose gold as well. Six bracelets are included – four bangles and two beaded. You can split them up or wear them all together. (You know me – I’m wearing them all at the same time!)
To enter to win the watch set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “It’s time for me to win!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, December 7th, 2018!
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so if you’ve not become a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller yet, give yourself a another free gift by heading over to the right sidebar or using the menu to get to the “Contact Me” page and subscribe if you haven’t done so already.
Share this blog with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or by copying the link into an email so they can enter to win and begin enjoying everything else on the blog as well!
Subscribers win every single month! Take a look at past freebies on the “Freebies” page to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “It’s time for me to win!”And now, here are the complete rules:
Four simple steps!
What are you waiting for? Time is running out! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm in your email and comment to enter before midnight tonight, December 7th!
Enjoy all the celebrations and those around you this holiday season. Years from now, you won’t remember any of those bargains you chased or a fraction of the presents you got or gave, but you’ll never forget the laughter, sweet tears and loving arms that made this Christmas a precious memory.
