Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese

I just had to post this, because it was delicious! I got the idea after I read a post by Amanda on KevinandAmanda.com. We changed it a little bit by adding ham and we both thought it was delicous!  Have I mentioned that I LOVE having a basil plant growing on our porch and fresh homegrown tomatoes in the refrig! Well, if I haven't before I'm saying it now! The basil plant is starting to really take off. I'm sure its loving the fact that I've been pretty much on bedrest for the last week! I can't wait till I have the energy to start cooking again!

The best part of this sandwich is that I can make it on my George Foreman! Doesn't it look great! I hope to try another favorite "panini".... ham with a thin slice of Granny Smith apple and cheddar cheese. My mouth watering just thinking about it. I already have the apple I just have to get rid of whatever this illness is so I can make it!

Saving Calculator

Even though Saving money and couponing is a huge part of my life right now, I try not to put too much of it on the blog. I don't want to bore ya'll. However,  I just had to share this. Last month I found this nifty savings excel spreadsheet on The Coupon Challenge. I say I save a lot by using coupons, but I've often wondered how much it actually saved. This was a very simple way to find out!

Yeah, it's a lot! I love looking at the list and seeing several trips where I saved over 90%!!! I'm planning on continuing this. It will be very interesting to see how I do in say 6 months or over the course of a year.

Here's a link to this VERY easy to use free downloadable spreadsheet. So go get yourself a Sunday newspaper, check out Moneysavingmom.com and start using the spreadsheet yourself. You'll be surprised at what you can do with only a little bit of time and a budget. You might also find yourself addicted to "couponing" like I am!

Oh, and I also had to share my favorite deal of the month. All this for .22 cents!

Yeah, I don't think I'll ever be able to do that again.

Thankful....

For this wonderful man...

.....who has pretty much waited on me hands and food this past week. He's also washed lots of laundry, done dishes, cooked.... basically everything I normally do. (Yeah, I'm so lucky he just brought me a dish of chocolate pudding too!) No its not because he has nothing to do. Actually its completely the opposite. He has huge projects for seminary due next week and should have been reading all the time with me waiting on him hand and foot. So why has he been doing this?? Well....

   The past week I've been struggling with an illness. We really don't know what it is exactly. Last Saturday I went to Patients First with a horrible ear ache that Tylenol nor Advil seemed able to touch. It had been getting progressively worse. Of course it was at its "height", or at least I thought so at the time, on Saturday so I couldn't go to my regular doctor. The doctor there cleaned out the ear and although "it doesn't look too bad" prescribed amoxicilin for an ear infection. After three days of amoxicillin the pain had not only gotten worse, but had migrated to my other ear. AND I had no energy to do anything. I pretty much stayed either on the couch or in my bed the whole day. We decided to go to our regular doctor and see if I needed to be put on something stronger to kill the bacteria. 

   She told us that the ears looked great, but my glands were extremely swollen. She tested for both strep throat and mono. (Which I thought quite odd as my throat didn't hurt at all.) She prescribed Vicodin! (NEVER been on that before!) And she told me I should be on bed rest until next week! Yeah I really wasn't happy with that... isn't that only something pregnant women do???

   Well, both tests have now come back negative. The bed rest part, well... as much as I don't like it, I have no energy to anything other than that. While I lie down I feel like I have energy, but as soon as I get up, even to go the bathroom, I know that I'm sick! I'm just hoping it all goes away just as fast as it started!

 So as I sit here laying wondering when I'll be able to help my wonderful husband I'm wondering... Why does it take an illness to make me thankful for health, for the ability to do simple tasks, and for the Lord giving me such a giving husband? Yes, I am truly blessed much more than I'll ever deserve!

Canning Tomatoes [Our First attempt]

 My hat goes off to those that do this without the benefits of A/C. It sure is a hot, messy task. However, there is a great sense of satisfaction when you see a neat row of jars that YOU canned sitting on the counter cooling! We definitely learned a lot of "don'ts" on this first attempt, but I think I'd attempt it again. I admit though in the middle of the process the cans in the store were looking mighty good. (It didn't help that it was 11pm! Ya, that's one of those "don'ts" I mentioned earlier!)

Friday Favorite - Our Favorite Cheap Date

A walk on the boardwalk with a stop off at Starbucks for hot chocolate or strawberry creme frappuccino using a FREE gift card earned through searches on Swagbucks! Definitely one of our favorite things to do. We rarely touch the sand, but its still a great date, especially during the winter when the beachfront is slower.

These were actually taken August 1st. It was a balmy 80 degrees, which actually felt really cold. When your body is "used" to weather that feels like 110+, 80 degrees sends it into a state of shock. The cold wind didn't help and may just be to blame for the ear ache I still have over a week later. It started raining about halfway back to the car. It was much farther than we remembered!

P.S. This sweater is definitely a favorite as well. I LOVE it! I will probably be over wearing it this Fall. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the birthday money to buy it!

Charlottsville - Monticello

A couple of weekends ago we went on a spontaneous anniversary trip to Charlottesville. (Hard to believe it's been 3 year since we said " I DO." Then again it feels like we've always been married. Still loving the married life!) It wasn't quite as spontaneous as this trip. However, the decision was made at lunch on Sunday and I only have a half hour to pack before we left. (I was thankful he gave me that much time!) He had taken two days off for our anniversary months before, and we really did talk about what we wanted to do. Guess we changed out minds at the last minute. I for one am really glad we did. It was just the relaxing weekend we both needed!

As you can tell Monticello was a lovely, lovely place. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day either. I'd totally recommend going. Amazing what Jefferson the ingenious things he did to make the house more "functional." I'd still consider it a mansion even to this day and it was built in the 1800s! More of that trip in a future post!

Friday Favorites - the blog edition again!

Found a lot of these yesterday while wasting time... wasn't feeling too hot since I had massive canker sores in my mouth and on my tongue. I should get used to them as I have had them pretty much constantly since I was 16, but sometimes they get the best of me. They think I have a "syndrome" that is causing them. Yuk!

Without further ado here's some great blogs and ideas I want to try or buy:

Hope Studios -

Rosette Shirt

I've been loving this type of shirt for awhile, but I love even more being able to make it myself. So much cheaper than buying one from J.Crew! (Which the frugal in me won't do. HAHA.) Love her detailed instructions, but I still think I'll wait till we go to Colorado so I can have my mom's wisdom when I try it out!

Oh, and check out this gorgeous rosette!

Yes, she made it herself AND she tells you how she did! Love all the ideas she gives. I'm thinking I need to make one for a necklace, shoes, a shirt...love it all! Oh, and did I mention it looks easy to make and its cheap!

You Craft Me Up! - Okay this girls has talent and lots of it. Check out what she did with her KitchenAid mixer!

Before & After

I guess they make a spray paint for appliances. Who knew??? I'm not sure I'm brave enough to actually try it as I LOVE my Kitchen Aid and I'd hate to ruin it. I love how it turned out and it is quite tempting though! I'm wondering if I could try it out on say a toaster... those are easy to replace! Would you try it??

Lula Belle- This site has lots of simple craft ideas. I'm thinking about trying my hand at these...

I know Asher would love them and they'd probably make great gifts!

- She makes the cutest quilts! (Plus she's having a giveaway right now too!) Here's a couple of my favorite items from her Etsy shop. Babysitting Asher twice a week is semi-dangerous. I now have a "excuse" to get some fun baby toys/supplies ! So far I've been good and have kept his toy supply small and mostly from yard sales. Maybe I'll splurge for his one year birthday! If you knew this baby you'd know why we LOVE to spoil him. He's has the best personality. It's amazing how well you get to know a baby when you watch them twice a week for 5 months. (2 months on...) Loving those baby cuddles! Okay I digress here's what I'd get if I had all the money in the world. Actually if that was the case I'd get a couple of quilts too!!