Tammy's Recipes

This is rather shameless, but on the other hand -- it's free money!

Crystal posted the whole scoop here (with lots of commentors verifying that this is legit!).

Basically, sign up for this better-than-Paypal service and get a free $25. I just signed up, and yep -- $25 in my account!

The shameless part comes in here: If you want to support our website while requesting your free $25, sign up through my referral link above. It'll only take you a few minutes. Then you can start sending your friends to your own referral link, and get $10 for each sign-up you recruit, up to $500! (This is good through April 15.)

I'm pretty sure Crystal has already gotten 50 people to sign up through her link... so if you're a regular reader and want to help support this site, I'd be thrilled if you'd consider signing up through the link above. ;)

Updated to add:

Thank you so much to everyone who signed up using our referral link! It is such a blessing. I'm still gathering some thoughts related to this unexpected (to me! Because Abba knew...) blessing...

First, as usual, Court has me rolling with laughter. Whether it's marriage insights, reflecting on the possible need to get some marriage counseling, or how well-prepared she was for motherhood, her blog posts almost always have me laughing -- sometimes to the point of tears! But she's not just funny. She's honest about the hard parts of life. I like that. :)

Bethany blogged about the homemade pretzels her son Caleb made, all by himself! :) I love how she's letting her kids have so much fun in the kitchen! :)

Tanya shared photos and thoughts about muffin-making with little helpers! :)

As the mom of a very independent potty trained two-year-old, I could totally relate to this post. Toilet paper is definitely one of those things that gets more expensive as the family size increases!

Here's a post about making homemade toothpaste (I want to try this!!), and from the same blog, a sweet testimony of Yahweh's blessings and faithfulness during hard times.

And lastly, there's an ad on our sidebar right now for this website: The Songwriter's Experiment. I could inundate you with music links, but we all have different tastes, right? Well, this one's from a wife and mom, and I'm anxious to hear more.

We got our free samples of True Lemon, Lime, and Orange in the mail recently, and really enjoyed them! We got two packets of each flavor, and added them to water. They were all gone that same day -- my boys liked the flavored water as much as I did! :) I think the lemon flavor was actually my favorite, though all of them were good. :) If you haven't requested your own free sample yet, go here to do so! :)

A couple of readers also asked where I find free samples. The best place to keep up with all the free sample offers out there is MoneySavingMom! Crystal usually posts a link to any of the good ones, so the past few weeks I haven't even gone to any other sites. Simple is good, right? ;)

I don't even bother searching for free samples on Google, because most of them aren't really "free" -- they want you to wade through countless pages and then participate in "offers" (which require spending money!) to get the "free" sample.

Shortly after Ruth was born, my friend Abigail sent us some delicious whole grains from her family's organic farm! We had sampled some of their products in the past, but that was about 5 years ago. It was fun to try some new things, and we really loved everything in the package!

Yehoshua and Eliyahu helped me make corn muffins from the corn muffin mix. It was so easy to make these! Eliyahu lined the pan while Yehoshua stirred as I added ingredients. :)

The mix has corn flour, so it's gluten-free (unlike my normal cornbread recipe which has cornmeal and all-purpose flour). We loved the crunchy whole-grain flavor, and drizzled our hot muffins with some honey before eating! (More photos...)

I loved this sweet post from Kimberly, a mother of 5 little ones. She writes about her daughters helping in the kitchen, and then concludes:

You know, if the Lord should graciously give us more children, I may be living the life of a queen one day!

1. nurse the baby
2. read to the children
3. take a nap

That sounds pretty ideal to me! ;)

My friend Mary has a great well-written post on her blog -- a (hospital) birth story from her perspective as a doula. Joshua, who is accustomed to my childbirth ramblings, read the post as well. ;) I'm so grateful for a husband who not only puts up with the subjects that interest me, but jumps right in with me! :)

From Ruizbe82, some homemade wheat bread, sprinkled with wheat germ. It looks delicious! :)

And more bread, from GinnyBerry -- the Amish White bread recipe. :)

From Donna -- cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, as well as the pumpkin roll! :)

Also, thank you to everyone who submits their favorite recipes to us. Many times it takes me a while to get around to trying all the recipes, but we do print them out and keep them in a special folder until they've been tried -- and blogged about! :) I haven't made any new recipes since Ruth was born, though...

A reader also asked about leaving recipe reviews. Registered users can leave reviews of the recipes they've tried (a review box shows up under the recipes when you're logged in!). For more details (it's actually really simple, I promise!) scroll down this page... Reader reviews make our website more than just "our recipe archive", and we really appreciate the time you take to leave reviews under the recipes! :)

This is way too cute. Chelsea Rae made some pita pockets, and you've got to go see her pictures. Look at the baby in the sink in that first picture! So adorable. :)

Jennifer also posted about the surprise dinner she made for her family (I'm glad they liked it!). :)

And way too long ago (i.e. I'm not very good about emptying my email inbox!) Erika emailed to let me know they had made a chocolate caramel almond cheesecake! :)

Have you made one of our recieps and posted about it or posted a picture on your blog? I'd love to see it! :) Feel free to share a link in the comments under this post, or, you can email me with a link to your post! :) We also really appreciate the many recipe reviews you all continue to leave here! :)

Ever since trying a sample of this Celestial Seasonings herbal tea, I've really wanted more. I totally understand why companies send out free samples of stuff!! My sweet husband has been buying me this tea whenever he happens to go to the store, and I just love it. If only each box contained more than 10 packets... ;)

Speaking of free samples... I love checking the mail these days! :) I've been getting some sort of free sample in the mail at least 3 times a week, and it's such a nice change from bills and junk mail! :) The sites I watch for sample links are MoneySavingMom.com, StartSampling's forum, and Wal-Mart's sample page. I think most all of the free samples I find end up being posted on MoneySavingMom.com, so if you want an easy source, just add that blog to your feed reader! :)

I loved this article about ways to include our children in the kitchen. You all should know by now how exciting it is to me to be able to include my little ones in more and more of our day-to-day doings, and yes -- a lot of our day is spent in the kitchen! :)

I mentioned once that Eliyahu keeps taking Yehoshua's jobs. Here are some of Yehoshua's newer jobs:

I use this weekly vitamin dispenser, so that I only have to open my vitamin bottles once a week and not daily. I have been having Yehoshua sort and fill the dispenser for me. Of course, I supervise him the entire time he does this, since I don't want him to eat any, or drop any on the floor for Eliyahu to find. :)

Another job that requires close supervision, but is oh-so-fun for a 3-year-old boy: using a screw driver to tighten the handles on my pans. That has always been a bothersome/neglected job in my kitchen, so it's quite handy to have a helper to do it for me! :)

The article I mentioned above gave me a few new ideas for Yehoshua. Ziplock bags, greasing pans, and washing dishes... those should be fun projects to learn! :)

I usually try to stay on-topic here... since this is a kitchen blog and all that, but some of these links aren't kitchen-related. Still very much worth reading, though. :) 

Bethany is writing a book about coping with pregnancy loss, and is asking for input about ways to help a grieving mom. You can access all of her pregnancy loss posts here... and also see/read about two newborn portraits that she drew for moms who had lost little ones.

Lindsey shared photos and instructions for making seasoned potato wedges for the freezer. She tackled this project to help preserve some of their garden bounty! :)

Mrs. Brigham posted some great thoughts about abortion, reflecting on a trip to an abortion clinic with a friend who was planning to have an abortion.

On a totally different note, Mrs. Brigham also posted the "rules" she and her husband came up with during their recent decluttering, and how they were able to let go of needless stuff! :)

Lindsay posted about making her own butter -- check out her pictures! :)

Emily writes about the all-too-common threads of jealousy and competitiveness among women... especially moms. To be more loving... to be always genuinely happy for another's blessings... and to stop being defensive and prideful...

My friend Tanya posted some pictures of her little guy helping her in the kitchen. :)

It's so sweet to see a child's beaming face when they are permitted to help with something new -- something that is reserved for "big boys" (or girls). :) Eliyahu has just started doing more "stirring" jobs in the kitchen, and I can tell by his expressions that he feels so important!! :)

And then Yehoshua... this evening he was telling Joshua and me that Eliyahu always helps wash the dishes and that it isn't fair -- Eliyahu should share. :) Well, it is true... Eliyahu does always help with dishes. :)

Mrs. Brigham writes about her favorite cracker recipes... something I would like to experiment more with myself in the future! :) I love homemade snacks... they get eaten all too quickly!!

Now, these don't look to healthy, but Bethany took a picture of the jalapeno wonton poppers she made, and they look so yummy to me right now! :) You can head over there for the recipe. :)

Court has a great post about motherhood on her blog. Having just (almost) finished one of those days when it seems like the children were either crying, whining, or fighting all day, Court's post provided some encouragement and even a laugh. ;) Now, I can't wait to go to bed and wake up to a fresh new day! :)

My friend Mary recently shared a great quote in her birth blog about good prenatal care. My thoughts, exactly. When Joshua and I were expecting our first child, we were blessed with friends (like Mary herself!) who encouraged us to read and learn as much as possible about childbirth -- and we're still on that learning path! :D

Willa has a good post about materialism -- reading her thoughts blessed me today! :)

One of the ways I have learned to cultivate contentment with what I have is to try to limit my "wants" to as little as possible. This is a great strategy, and it generally leaves me very content. Since my "wants" are few, they get fulfilled. So in essence, I get everything that I want!

The problem comes when I find myself with a "want" (not need!) and it, for whatever reason, won't be fulfilled... yet I struggle to give it up! It helps to remember that it's just a thing... and I know that the happiness gained from things is very short-lived. :)

My friend Melissa created a delicious-looking hearty harvest chowder and I'm thinking about making some for the freezer, for after the new baby's born. (Maybe leaving out the half-and-half until I re-warm it?) Hot soup is so comforting on a cold winter day... my mouth is watering just thinking about it! :)

And, if you have little ones in your home (or want to make a gift for someone you know!) you should definitely check out Meredith's post about making pumpkin pie play dough! She includes the recipe, and says it smells so yummy... :)

Beth shared her homemade pancake mix -- with a photo of her cannister and the instructions on the side. So organized!! :)

These hearty hotcakes look delicious -- and the recipe uses kefir, too! :) For those who don't have access to kefir, you could probably substitute buttermilk. :)

Ginny's homemade tortilla chips sound really yummy... but I truly doubt I will ever take the time to make my own tortilla chips from scratch!

My cousin Willa has a blog, and she posted a picture and recipe of her mom's buttermilk pie recipe -- which she says is reminiscent of a pecan pie, but much better. Better than pecan pie? I should make that for Joshua! :)

Bethany made some sushi, and as usual, her photo of it is beautiful! I've only had sushi once, and I didn't like it well enough to want to try making it myself. :P

And lastly, another recipe on my very-long-list of "want to try... plan to try... hope to try someday soon!" recipes -- pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. :)

Christi has some great posts about involving our little ones in everyday work -- I especially enjoyed her post with lots of pictures of smiling helpers. :)

And, doesn't Rebecca's granola look yummy?! We're almost out of that double batch of granola I made a couple weeks ago, so making granola is on my list for tomorrow. Granola is so much healthier than the cold cereals Aldi sells... and cheaper, too! :)

I enjoyed this blog post from my friend Mary: Scrambled Eggs and Winter Mornings.

What a great reminder about the real reason behind making a nice meal: Because I love my husband! :) It's not about a picture or a blog or loving to cook...

On that note, here's a poll about what you would make if you were making something sweet for your spouse!

As you know from Joshua's post yesterday, we got this site moved to a new server. Now, to work out the bugs... like randomly inserted capital A's in the content... and the fact that I can't upload any graphics right now. So much for the posts I had written for last night and tonight! If I were tech-savvy, I would know how to manually upload graphics... hmn, I might be able to figure that out. I'm too used to just turning to Joshua with every problem! :)

So, anyway, until we do figure it all out, here are a couple good links:

Bethany is having a pencil portrait giveaway on her blog! She does some fabulous artwork, and I also love her blog -- full of yummy-looking food and crafty/artistic ideas!

Crystal posted her $35/week menu for this week! You can also see a picture and read about her $35/week grocery trip in this post. :)

Poor Bethanie... she used up every last bit of flour she could find on this new bread recipe, but ended up with a mess and no bread. After a couple of minor kitchen disasters myself today, I really have sympathy.

Sometimes I think, "Wow, I could have saved myself a lot of time and money and work by never attempting to make _____ in the first place!" But that is life... full of learning experiences. :) And the disasters make us appreciate the successes, right? :)