Grandpa Michael's Green Shake

Apple
Banana
Orange
2 cups water
Ginger
Prunes (6)
1 T. Honey
1 T. Maple Syrup
Pickled Beets
Celery
Collard Greens
Kale
Spinach
Cucumber

Businesses

Our family's financial needs are increasing. Our kids need braces, driver's insurance, scout camp & merit badges, education, music lessons, tons of food, activities, friends tagging along, missions, marriages, etc.  Our parents are quickly approaching dependence on us as well. They will need costly housing and healthcare. We also want to help of the world's poor, uneducated, and suffering. We want to travel the world sharing the Gospel, doing temple & family history work, and serving the less-fortunate. Ask this requires a lot of money and resources. But the Lord said,

"Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."

I feel like we are truly trying to do this. So we are going to be blessed with riches to serve others. I don't want a fancy or large lifestyle. I want to help others. Wouldn't it be fun?! I get excited just thinking about building schools, paying for surgeries, educations, and wheelchairs. I get excited thinking about adopting dear children. I have wanted to serve in this way since I was a little girl. There are millions of ways to scatter sunshine along the way! Many ways that require no money! But so many people who do desperately need the things money can buy.  And so many throughout the world who need us to come and testify of Christ.

So I have been reading & thinking a lot about businesses that have low start-up costs, require minimum time to run, are web-based (thus mobile), and extremely profitable.  These businesses have been labeled muses.  I feel Heavenly Father has been helping me think big. I pray that these ventures will be profitable and useful to their customers.  And that the money these muses produce will bless the lives of many, many of His children.

Breakfast Cake

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups milk

6 cups flour (wheat, of course)
1 teaspoon stevia
2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg

Mix batter. Place on greased cookie sheet or cake pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes if on a cookie sheet, about 30 minutes ifin a cake pan.

After you take it out of the oven, smear the top with melted butter. Then shake cinnamon sugar all over the top.  We love to serve this for breakfast on birthdays, sometimes with candles. Fun family traditions are a blessing from Heavenly Father! Happy Birthday!

Fish

Fish is so easy!  You can just throw it in a steamer for about 10-15 minutes until flaky.  Or bake at 350 until flaky.
Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.  You could also sprinkle garlic & cayenne on top.

Tonight we are sitting around the table eating fish.  We are after the kids for fighting, spilling, yelling, and complaining.  Mealtime is usually fun and great, but it is sometimes it is ridiculous. I'm grateful for Elder Bernard's talk about how consistency it's important even if these family times aren't always ideal. They eventually blend together to form a beautiful family culture.

Spinach Pecan Salad

6-8 cups spinach

2 cups red cabbage, sliced very thin

1 cup candied pecans, recipe below

3 T. blue cheese crumbles

2 cups apples, chopped

2 cups raisins

Balsamic vinegar

Again, this recipe is a guideline. Enjoy!

Candied Pecans

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. butter

1 cup pecans

Melt together until turns to soft goo. Cool. When it is cool it will harden. Yum!

Jaremy and I enjoyed this salad at the restaurant "Elements." We were on an overnight date on my birthday. I was seven months pregnant with Adelynn. We had spent the day hiking 14 miles to a mountain ridge. It was an amazing day together!!! I'm so grateful I could spend the day doing what I love with my best friend and eternal companion. Heavenly Father has blessed our marriage so much!!!

P.S. Tank doesn't like blue cheese! Leave it off his salad!

Spinach Yogurt Salad

6-8 cups spinach

2 cups strawberry yogurt

2 cups grapes

2 cups strawberries, sliced

2 T. poppy seeds

These amounts are general guidelines. Mix and enjoy! To decrease sugar use plain yogurt flavored with pureed strawberries, stevia, and vanilla.

Guacamole

Guacamole

1 onion

2 tomatoes

12 avocados

2/3 c. sour cream

juice from 1 lime

salt and pepper

garlic salt

Peel,pit, and mash avocados. Chop onion and tomatoes as fine as possible. Mix all ingredients.

Serve with tortilla chips, on salad, or with any Mexican dish.

This is Aunt Rachel's recipe. Yummy!!! Family parties are so much fun! The Butler family loves to get together for taco night. Treasure the times your families can get together. Before you know it everyone has moved away or is too busy with their own families. I'm so glad Heavenly Father has given us a chance to have family parties and get-togethers.

German Pancakes

German Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 t. salt

2 T. butter, melted in baking pan

Place the eggs, milk, flour, and salt in a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Do this extra long if you are using wheat flour. Melt the butter in a cake pan. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Serve with yogurt, syrup, fresh fruit, or sausage links.

The first time I had this was in Denver at my Aunt Lorie and Uncle Mitch's house. We always had such good times with them. They were a great influence on me and reinforced my parents teachings. They loved the Lord and their family tremendously. And they loved adventure and fun! I'm so grateful Heavenly Father let me rub shoulders with them in my childhood.

Corn Bread

3/4 c. corn meal or corn flour

1 1/2 c. milk

Mix and let sit for 1-4 hours. Or if you are in a hurry skip this step. You guessed it; I have never done this step.

1 egg

1/4 c. butter (or oil works too)

1 c. flour (wheat flour is better)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 t. salt

1/3 c. sugar

Mix. Pour batter into greased baking pan about the size of a pie pan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Serve with syrup, butter, honey butter, or chili. You can also make chili cobbler by filling a cake pan 2/3 full with chili then spooning cornbread batter over the top. Then bake it until cornbread is done and chili is hot.

Yummy Stuff Salad

Yummy Stuff Salad

1 large box of orange Jell-O made with 2 cups water

1 large box of cooked lemon pudding

1 small box of instant lemon pudding made with 1 cup milk

Combine first 2 ingredients. Chill until firm.

Combine instant lemon pudding with small Cool Whip.

Cover firm base with Cool Whip/lemon topping.

Decorate with mandarin oranges on top.

Sister Price brought over this delicious salad/dessert as part of a huge meal after Moroni was born. It fed us for a week! We have always been blessed to live near the dearest people. I'm so grateful for wonderful neighbors. Heavenly Father's hand is felt through theirs.

Chocolate Cookie Winner

Chocolate Cookie Winner

2 c. flour

3/4 c. cocoa

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

Sift.

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

Cream.

Blend ingredients. Chill dough 1 hour. Roll into balls Dip in sugar. Bake 8 minutes at 350.

Jessica and Benjamin made these tonight for a Young Men/Young Women cookie cook-off. They put caramels in the middle of the balls of cookie dough. Then they melted marshmallows on top of the cookies for the last minute of baking. Next they dipped the marshmallow top of the cookie into melted semi-sweet chocolate. Last they drizzled swirls of white chocolate on top of that. They looked great and won 2nd place. It was so fun to see them baking together and coming up with new ideas together. Heavenly Father has blessed us to with great kids that are super genius cooks. I just love watching them have a great time together.

Berry Ice Cream

4 cups frozen berries
1 teaspoon stevia
1 tablespoon vanilla
Whole milk

Place first three ingredients in blender.  Pour in enough whole milk to cover berries.  Blend.  Enjoy!

Our blender broke the other day.  It made me think how rarely we have problems with appliances, vehicles, computers,etc.  Heavenly Father has really blessed us.  So many things could go wrong but don't.  I think that is one of the blessings of paying tithing.  I'm not saying nothing ever breaks down, but I do believe it happens less because we are blessed for paying a full tithe.  Hopefully, we can fix the blender this evening & make berry ice cream for family home evening treat. Yum!

Split Pea Soup

4 cups split peas
12 cups water

Pressure cook until reaches to setting than turn it off and let it sit until pressure down.  You could simmer on the stove if you don't have a pressure cooker for about 40 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Simple & delicious.

You can complicate the recipe by adding chicken bouillon, onions, carrots, ham, and/or potatoes. Oh, it's so yummy & warm & comforting!

Wheat Tortillas

Wheat Tortillas

5 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups boiling water

flour for rolling

In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt. Rub in the shortening by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.Make balls the size of golf balls. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth.

Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.

For years I've tried to make wheat tortillas that weren't crisp. For a while I thought it might be impossible to make wheat tortillas at home, so we bought the very expensive store-bought ones. They were also loaded with additives. The key is the boiling water and letting it sit and kinda cook and soften. I love when Heavenly Father makes it possible for us to come upon an idea or recipe that saves our family money and improves our health. I love how He doesn't give us everything at once, but let's us experiment, search, and try. Then when we are given the answer we value it even more.

Burritos

Burritos

2 cups cooked pinto beans

2-4 tortillas (whole-grains with legumes make a complete protein)

Garlic Salt

Cumin (If you like it)

Optional Ingredients:

Salsa

Shredded Cheese

Shredded Lettuce

Sour Cream

Cilantro

Mash pinto beans. Add garlic, cumin, and salt to taste. Add salsa to taste if desired, but not necessary. Spoon these fresh refried beans into tortillas. Add toppings if desired. Roll tortilla.

Serves 2-4

Spring 2011 we decided we would try to follow the Word of Wisdom better by being vegetarian except in the winter. It was a lot of fun and we felt great! I'm grateful Heavenly Father has blessed me with a testimony of the Word of Wisdom.

Beans

Beans

3 cups dried beans

9-10 cups water

Method 1: Place in pressure cooker. Bring to 15 pounds pressure (or if you have settings, the highest setting). Then turn off the burner and allow to stay on burner while coming down in pressure. This method takes about 60-90 minutes.

Method 2: Place ingredients in pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down temperature. Simmer all day or until soft. This method takes about 8 hours.

Beans are a nutritional power house! I just love 'em! So easy and cheap! Heavenly Father has blessed us with quick, easy ways to keep our families healthy and full!

Butter Crunch Popcorn

Butter Crunch Popcorn

1 cup unpopped popcorn

Pop it!

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

salt

Mix, dissolve, and boil. Let boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Add vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Mix. Pour over popcorn. Put onto a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 15 minutes.

This is my Aunt Marilyn's recipe. Aunt Marilyn is a Washington DC lawyer. She taught me, when I was about 10, it was not polite to ask people how much money they make. I was just curious; I didn't know I was being rude. Live and learn!

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Cream the eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Then add all the rest. Mix well. Roll into balls and dip top of ball in cinnamon sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

We were about to make these tonight. But we realized we are out of eggs and butter for the next two weeks until we shop again. Oh well! We will make caramel popcorn instead for a Sunday evening treat. It's such a good feeling to figure out ways to stay within our budget and goal for once-a-month shopping. It's a great game!! We are going to win and save tons of money and build a bit of character in the process. I'm grateful Heavenly Father lets life test our resolve in little and big things. It's a thrill to stick to a goal!!

Rice

Rice

6 cups brown rice

13 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

Cook on medium high (8) until boiling. Turn down temperature to low/medium (4) until soft and fluffy. This takes about 20 minutes for white rice and 45 minutes for brown rice.

Serves 10

Great for cereal with cinnamon sugar and milk, rice pudding, and stir fries. Cheap and easy!!

Pancakes

Pancakes

2 c. wheat flour

2 c. oats

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

4 c. milk

1/2 c. oil or melted butter

(Note oil is cheaper & healthier)

4 eggs

Mix until smooth. Cook on griddle or frying pan. Top with syrup, yogurt, jam, or fruit. Top with ground flax seed for a super flavor, nutrient, and fiber boost.

Leftover cereal, mashed beans, pumpkin, chocolate chips, blueberries, coconut, etc. can be added to the batter. Have fun!!! Remember if you have this recipe, I love you lots and lots!!!

Serves 4-6

Pancake Mix

16 c. wheat flour

16 c. oats

8 T. baking powder

4 t. salt

8 c. powdered milk

Mix dry ingredients. Store in air tight container.

To make batter:

5 c. pancake mix

4 eggs

4 c. water

½ c. oil or butter

Mix until smooth. Add more water if needed. Cook on griddle or frying pan. Top with syrup, yogurt, jam, or fruit. Top with ground flax seed for a super flavor, nutrient, and fiber boost.

This blogging my recipes is a great blessing and convenience. When the kids need a recipe they don't have to sort through books, clippings, cards, magazines, etc. They can just come here. Not only that, it's made me go through each recipe and modify the original to how I usually make it (less fat and sugar, bigger batches, more fiber, etc.) This way I can easily make cooking books for when they leave the nest. Heavenly Father has made so many things a convenient and easy and fun. I hope I can use my extra time carefully to build up His kingdom and scatter sunshine along the way.

Cracked Wheat Cereal

Cracked Wheat

6 cups cracked wheat

13 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup brown sugar

~ 4 cups milk

Place first three ingredients in huge, oven-safe dish. Cook in oven overnight at 250ْ. . Or bring 10 cups water to a boil then stir in cracked wheat. Stir while cooking on low for 10-15 minutes. Mix in sugar and milk. Great, healthy breakfast for busy mornings!

Serves 10

Heavenly Father has told us wheat is for man. I'm grateful for this knowledge and that it tastes so good and is so filling. Aunt Amber's grandma doesn't put milk and sugar in it; she just adds vanilla ice cream. Fun! By the way, I'm so glad Heavenly Father let such a great lady like Aunt Amber be in our lives.

Bread

Wheat Bread

6 cups hot water (not scalding)

½ cup sugar or ¼ cup honey

2 heaping tablespoons yeast

Mix and let sit for about 10 minutes until bubbly.

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons salt

8 cups whole wheat flour

Mix for about 3 minutes until smooth.

6-8 more cups whole wheat floor.

Knead until dough cleans off the side of the mixer. It should be slightly sticky but smooth and hand-formable. Mold into four loaves. Or make cinnamon rolls, pizza crust, orange rolls, dinner rolls, breadsticks, etc.

Bake loaves at 350ْ for 30 minutes. Bake rolls at 350ْ for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy fresh out of the oven!

Heavenly Father has always given us our daily bread for which I'm so grateful. He has also blessed me with contentment in knowing I don't live in a museum. So I will take pictures of messy kitchens because that is life. And life is messy and wonderful!!!