Here are a few tips for reducing household spending

 Call a Family Meeting

Call a meeting with the family and discuss ways everyone can help in reducing expenses.  Even young children can get in on the action by having “Light Switch Duty” and be sure lights are out when no one is in the room.

Nix Brand Loyalty

Do you really need Heinz Ketchup?  Are Aldi Brand paper plates just as good as Dixie brand?  For our family, well for my husband really, the Heinz is non-negotiable.  Off-brand ketchup will not do.  Paper products are a different story.  I am an Aldi fan especially for things that I don’t worry about being organic.   Also consider if you need name brand things like pens, paper, diapers, baby wipes or laundry detergent. Diapers.com has awesome diapers.  We’ve been using their brand since Wyatt was a few months old (after I went through the packs of gifted diapers.)

For some inspiration on eating real food and shopping at discount stores, this post from Kitchen Stewardship is very encouraging.

Annual Utility & Necessary Expense Shopping

Once a year, shop for the best rates on utilities and other “necessary because they just are” type expenses.  Here is a list of some things to checkInsurances – car, life, home owners

• Utilities – propane, oil and even natural gas and electricity in areas where they are deregulated. Deregulation means that you have a choice of who you will buy your natural gas or electricity from just as we have a choice of who we buy our long distance phone service from. Speaking of…
• Telephone service – there are now companies who offer Voice Over IP (Vonage, Magic Jack, etc). Compare your bills and see if you can save
• Cable or Satellite providers – Many times all you need to do is tell them your switching and they’ll match rates or lower yours enough to convince you to stay.
• Don’t forget to ask about bill bundling.  In my area we bundle our local phone service, long distance, internet and satellite and save around $60.00 a month.

Grocery Shop with a List and Meal Plan

Grocery shopping without a list is a big no-no and a great place to start in plugging budget leaks.  If you do not meal plan you should consider it.  I mean plan monthly and shop monthly but I know others that do it weekly or bi-weekly.  In my house the more I stay out of the grocery store the better!

Save on Laundry

Wash as much as you can in cold water and use drying racks, inside clothes lines or outside clothes lines.  Before we had our son I was able to cut our electric bill greatly by reducing hot water washes and dryer use.  Making your own laundry detergent is another money saver.

Pack Lunch

Whether it’s going to work or going for groceries if you’re out all day pack your lunch.  You can save a ton of money if you pack instead of buying.  Think about it – a $4.50 “value” meal at the drive in twice a week is $468.00 a year.  How many times a week do you “drive thru?”   Not only does it save money but oh how much healthier it is to pack a lunch.  I don’t care if you pack store-bought lunch meat on store-bought white bread with store-bought mayo it has GOT to be better than mystery meat from any fast food chain.  But that’s another topic for another day!

 Avoid the Mall

Like it’s the plague. If you do not need a specific item do not go! We are like bugs attracted to a light when it comes to malls, craft stores, hobby shops and sporting goods stores. The simple fact is until or unless you have trained yourself in restraint just stay away.  Don’t go stroll through the mall on a Sunday afternoon for something to do – stroll through the park.  Too cold? Rainy? Then cuddle on the couch and watch a family movie or play a board game? Don’t have a board game or a movie? Make a big fort in your living room with clothes pins and sheets.  Don’t have sheets?  Well, then I’m out of ideas at the moment.

There are tons of ways to save money by tweaking little things in your life.  Ask the Lord to show you ways your family can save.  Ask him to open your eyes to see things that you may otherwise miss and remember, it is all about being good stewards with what the Lord has given us.

What simple ways have you found to reduce spending in your house?

 Be Blessed

The post 7 Tips to Reduce Spending appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

This is installment four of a multi-post series on the misconceptions of women.  Everywhere we look we see women in roles or seasons of life that get stereotypically categorized as this or that. Perhaps you are one of these women or perhaps you have never stopped to understand these women.  This series is meant to expel some of those stereotypes and give you a different perspective of women who sometimes get a blanket judgement.  

Last year I had the privilege of guest posting for Gail at The Imperfect Housewife.  I love Gail’s heart and her honesty at not  being the perfect “Stepford Wife.”

I was, and still am, fed up with the notion that all mothers who work outside the home think their jobs are more important that or trump the needs of their children.  That our houses and husbands are neglected and our children are lacking love and support.

What mental picture do you draw when you hear “working mother” or see a mother working outside the home?

Think on that a moment and then follow me to The Imperfect Housewife to take a peek into my daily routine.

It may surprise you.

You can glean insight into the lives of a pastor’s wife, a public school mom and a homeschool mom in the rest of this series.

The post Misconceptions: The Working Mom appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

“…what I have said, that will I bring about.” What I have planned, that will I do.”  Isiah 46:11b

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

I thank you Lord that you are in control of everything and tha are true to your word. Sometimes I get frustrated, even angry when it doesn’t seem like there is  any progress or that things are going never going to change. But you are teaching me that things can be changing even if we cannot see them with our natural eyes.

It’s just like being pregnant. In the early stages many, many crucial things are happening but we cannot see them.  At one, two maybe even three months along some women don’t seem pregnant from the outside yet within their womb marvelous things are taking place. Deep inside a baby is being knit together by your very hand.  The story of life is beginning.

We don’t conceive one day and expect to deliver the next.  This process takes nine months. So why do we expect that You would make us a promise one day and fulfill it the next?  Sometimes I expect visible changes immediately.  How dare I.

The truth is:

• You are true to your word – Your promises are Yes and Amen (2 Cor 1:20)
• Your timing is perfect – never early; never late
• We cannot fathom your infinite wisdom -
• You know the plans you have for us (Jer 19:11)

So my only choice is to surrender control to you, praise you and hold fast to that which you have promised – because in perfect time it will be birthed.

What are you waiting to see birthed?  Don’t give up hope, He is in control!

Until Next Time,

Be Blessed

The post The Birth of a Promise appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

This is installment three off a multi-post series on the misconceptions of women.  Everywhere we look we see women in roles or seasons of life that get stereotypically categorized as this or that. Perhaps you are one of these women or perhaps you have never stopped to understand these women.  This series is meant to expel some of those stereotypes and give you a different perspective of women who sometimes get a blanket judgement. 

So far we’ve looked at the private life of a pastor’s wife and a homeschooling mama. Today Shannon is sharing her heart about the stereotypes that she encounters as the mom of children who attend public school.

The Public School Mom

I’ll never forget the first time I realized that other moms had an opinion about what I was doing with my kids for their schooling. My first brush with it was actually in the blogosphere when a well-meaning (I hope!) homeschool mom posted two links to sermons or articles bemoaning the evils of the public school system. One of the sermons went so far as to intimate that a Christian parent who puts his/her kids in the public school system is basically turning them over to the devil.

Wow. I remember sitting in front of my computer screen just sort of shocked.  And, honestly, a little hurt. Teary-eyed, I wrote and rewrote several comments in response before finally just deleting them and moving on. But the seed was planted and I found myself doubting our decisions.

Of course, being the people-pleaser that I am, it also messed with my own issues of wanting to be liked and understood. I wanted to explain myself and defend our decision. Thankfully in recent years there has been some more discussion about moms supporting each other instead of judging each other. I think we still have a long way to go, but at least the discussion is taking place.

I know that we moms are pretty passionate about our kids and we try to do our best by them. Naturally we feel emotionally invested in the choices we make – on issues ranging from cloth diapers to working away from home to schooling.

I have recently started working part-time in an office setting but for most of my parenting experience has been as a stay-at-home mom whose kids went to the local public school.

As such, I’ve definitely been misunderstood or stereotyped over the years. Let me share four of the most common ones with you. Perhaps you can relate to one of these:

I must not understand the dangers of the public school environment

The assumption here is that if I were just a little more educated, I would choose differently. In truth, I think all of the schooling options – public, private, homeschool, and some sort of homeschool hybrid – have their pros and cons.  There isn’t one that is a silver bullet for producing perfect children. My husband and I made an informed decision, weighing all of these options. We are well-aware of the risks involved in sending our kids to a place that doesn’t necessarily share our value system – both in the administration/teachers who influence them and in the children who surround them daily. (Please note that in our case, the school district is very welcoming of parental involvement and is not using an extremely liberal curriculum. So for us, it was workable. I realize that that is not the case everywhere in the U.S. If I had lived in another district, I might have chosen differently.)

It must be about the money

This misconception assumes that either (a) I am in a hurry to get back to work and make more money or (b) I don’t have the money to pay private tuition but that I would if I could. The truth is that I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the working world. We live in a small home with a small mortgage payment and live pretty simply. I chose not to homeschool even though I was a stay-at-home mom.  As well, we could probably find a way to make private school tuition work. We have been blessed with some very good Christian schools in our area. Our choice not to send the kids there has nothing to do with money. It’s a philosophical decision not a financial one.

I’m letting someone else raise my kids

It is true that my kids are out of my home for a good bit of the day. But, it is my firm conviction that every parent should be a homeschooler in a way. The development of my children is my God-given responsibility and privilege. I have deputized the school system to teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic. Just like I have deputized a lacrosse coach to teach my son that sport or a dance instructor to teach my daughter beautiful lyrical moves or a Bible study leader to lead their small groups at church. Does that mean that I am no longer involved in their academic, social, physical, and spiritual development? Nope. It can but it doesn’t have to. It’s all matter of perspective.

I’m settling for a second-rate education

This is probably the most compelling one for me. I know there are times when my kids are bored or could be challenged more if they were in a smaller setting. And, I am intrigued by the classical education model. I don’t love everything about the way public schooling has evolved in recent years. Furthermore, teachers in the public school system are required to juggle more because they have every kind of kid – not just the ones who have been selected. But, we are in a great school district and, with the exception of one year for my son, my kids are getting a good education overall. Truth be told, much of learning is what you make you make of it. We backfill anything we feel like they are missing – for example, our kids will be learning logic this summer.

How about you? What sorts of misconceptions or stereotypes have you experienced in your schooling choices?

Shared:

Cornerstone Confessions

The post Misconceptions of: The Public School Mom appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

This week at BundleoftheWeek.com, add five Kitchen Stewardship ebooks to your library at a fraction of their regular price!

I was shocked when I saw Katie had filled all five spots in this week’s bundle.

Whether you’re already a fan of the talented Katie Kimball or just hearing about these ebooks for the first time, this collection of real food ebooks includes not just recipes but plenty of information to empower you on your real food journey — and it’s available at almost 80% off retail this week only.

Plus, purchasers will receive a special coupon code to purchase Katie’s latest ebook, Better Than a Box, at just 50%!

Why I Love Katie’s Books

The thing about Katie’s books that makes them so special is that they aren’t just “cookbooks” or “recipes books.”  They are more like tutorials or guides that also have plenty of recipes.  For example, in Smart Sweets Katie explains various types of sweeteners and dedicates a whole page to ingredient information.  It’s also like getting two, three or even four times the recipes since many of her recipes include grain/dairy/egg-free options.  Even though we don’t eat grain/dairy/egg-free it’s fun to try a recipe that way to see if you a)like it and b)know you have a good option if you have guests with special dietary restrictions.

From soaking grains and using beans to stretch your budget to dozens of snack recipes for busy families on the go and tasty desserts that won’t leave you feeling deprived, Katie’s ebooks offer recipes and kitchen tips for every meal of the day.

P.S. Even if you’ve already got one or two of these ebooks in your collection, this collection offers a great value for the remaining books. And you’re welcome to pass on your duplicates to a friend or family member to encourage them in their real food journey as well!

Healthy Snacks to Go (2nd Edition) by Katie Kimball

With over 45 healthy snack recipes and ideas including traditional granola bars, iron-packed Popeye bars, and a dozen “larabar” style variations, Healthy Snacks To Go is the resource you need for healthy snack ideas. Complete with time-saving tips, frugal options and allergy notes, plus diaper-bag friendly snacks that are toddler-approved, this will become your “go-to” cookbook to keep your cupboards filled with nourishing yet quick choices.

The Everything Beans Book by Katie Kimball

Beans are not just a side dish on your dinner plate.  I waited and waited to buy this book. I finally scored it with money in my budget and at a discount.

This comprehensive resource explaining everything you want to know about beans and legumes. In The Everything Beans Book, you’ll find recipes for homemade beans and rice, refried beans, wraps, Mexican fare, soups, pasta dishes, and even a dessert, plus frugal tips and substitution ideas! Beyond recipes, this ebook also offers over 20 pages of information to facilitate your new love of beans and make sure you can cook with dry beans without any stress.

Smart Sweets by Katie Kimball

Katie’s goal with Smart Sweets: 30 Desserts to Indulge Your Sweet Tooth is to give you options that are way better for you than you’ll find in the grocery store, usually better for you than another homemade version, and sometimes downright good for you. You’ll find less sugar, healthier sweeteners, whole grains, soaked and sprouted grains, no grains, probiotics and even some vegetables in these desserts recipes, without sacrificing taste or enjoyment!

Is Your Flour Wet? by Katie Kimball

In Is Your Flour Wet? Soaked, Sprouted, or Soured: Grains Recipes from Our Kitchens to Yours, Katie offers a basic introduction to soaking, sprouting and sourdough, plenty of how-to tutorials and more than 45 recipes from a variety of real food bloggers, including breads, snacks, pancakes and waffles, oatmeal, cakes and more!

This book is a good reference book to the benefits of soaking and sprouting your grains. It’s filled with tutorials and recipes.

The Family Camping Handbook by Katie Kimball

If you’ve always wanted to try camping as a frugal family vacation but are nervous because you have little ones, The Family Camping Handbook will show you how to survive and even thrive out in the woods with young children. You’ll find an overview to help you get started camping, packing and to-do lists and, of course, real food adaptations to standard camping fare. This ebook includes a total of 36 camping recipes and techniques, including paleo/primal/grain-free adaptations.

This book inspired me to take my real food journey on the road.  You see, we love to go camping and we visit family in Delaware every summer.  Hearing Katie’s stories and reading her recipes helped me to take the plunge and make real, wholesome foods for our vacations.   Not only is is healhier it’s so much more frugal to take stuff than buy stuff.

The Kitchen Stewardship bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 5/27. Get yours today:

And don’t forget! You get a coupon code for 50% off Better Than a Box! That’s a savings of almost $8.50.

The post Bundle of the Week: Kitchen Stewardship Set…& A Coupon! appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

“We’ll be line forever right mommy?” He said tugging on his mom’s pant leg. He was probably four, maybe five years old.

I chucked to myself as she shushed him and said “No, not too long.”

This little lesson comes courtesy of a very long checkout line at Aldi.

A Lesson Demonstrated

Through my witness of this seemingly insignificant exchange between mother and child the Lord reminded me just how much my words and actions impact my son and how he will see his world and interact with it.

The idea that we influence our children isn’t new; I’m sure you’ve heard it before.

Our children will emulate what they see and hear from the adults in their lives, especially their parents.

When the guy in the car ahead of me is doing 30 in a 45 and I say “Come on buddy, gas pedal is on the right.” In a condescending manner  Is that something I want my son to say some day?  Sure, me he might say it one day but do I want it to be because he got the example from me?

Positive Influence

I had another example of this valuable lesson a few days later in my kitchen.

As I do every few days I was running the vacuum, sweeper as we call it around here.  Little man was playing with the attachments and I could not figure out what he was doing with them.

I watched him a bit more closely and realized that he was imitating me when I run the sweeper by using the attachment to “clean” around the edges and beneath the counters.  He proceeded to the living room where he did the same thing under the television.

At eighteen months he saw what I did and was doing the same. It is amazing and honoring. And truthfully a bit scary.  The thought that seemingly insignificant tasks are examples for him to follow is daunting.

If left to myself I’m a mess, I’m pessimistic, judgmental, grumpy and a bit on the selfish side.  I don’t want my son to be like that.

My Example, His Example

There is hope.  If I focus daily on the Lord, lean on Him for strength and look to Him as my example there is hope that I can be a better example for my son.

“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” ~ Proverbs 3:5

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. “ ~ Ephesians 4:22-24

Daily I must renew my mind and spend time with the Lord.

I must also keep godly company.

I must read godly books, magazines and blogs; things that are encouraging to me as a mother.

Ultimately I must take my example from the life of Jesus. I must be as a little child with Jesus; watching Him and learning from Him.

As He is my example and I exude more of Christ in my life I will naturally become a better example to my son and everyone else around me.

Do your children imitate you or your spouse? If so how?

Until Next Time,

Be Blessed

The post Mirroring Mom & Dad appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

I love to be in the kitchen so making meals from scratch is not a daunting task for me. There are times however that I wish I could just pull something out of the freezer and not think about cooking. Having make ahead breakfast foods available that aren’t from a box can be done even for the working mom.

I have found a few things that I can make in batches and freeze so that I can have a “fast food” meal that is still nutritious.

These options are also great for baby sitters.  My mother in law probably wouldn’t whip up a smoothie on her own accord but if I have it prepped and ready she’ll complete it for Wyatt’s breakfast.

English Muffins

I won’t reinvent the wheel.  You can read here how to make them.  They freeze very nicely. I pull one out of the freezer in the mornings to pack for my breakfast and by the time I’m ready to toast it at work it’s thawed.

At home they take about 30 minutes to thaw on the counter.

Pancakes

When I make pancakes on a Saturday morning I try to make extra for freezing.  Stored in a container or baggie with wax paper between them you can have a quick meal in no time.

Thaw them on the counter for ten or fifteen minutes. Toast them or put them in greased pan for a few minutes to warm them up.

You can find my easy make  ahead dry mix for pancakes here.

French Toast

Here’s another easy breakfast make ahead that you can make in batches.  If you’re already serving them Sunday morning why not make an extra loaf and freeze them?

When I make them for freezing I let them get just slightly done but not as firm/crisp as I like them for eating.  This way when you thaw them you can toast them up on your griddle or pan with some butter and they will be perfect!

Bacon

For the normal person I’ll say this: Make a pound of bacon, use what you need and save the rest. Allow it to cool and freeze between wax paper.  When you’re ready to use, allow the bacon to thaw and fry it back up in a pan until it reaches desired crispiness.

For the bacon lovers I’ll say this: Make the whole pound. Eat the whole pound, make a second pound, try not to eat it and follow the steps above.

Seriously.  If you make a whole pound and you want to reserve some do it slightly less then your desired crispiness.  When you’re ready to reheat put in your pan, toaster oven or even microwave and cook until it’s just the way you like it.

You can fry it or even better, bake it!

Smoothie Base

If you’re a smoothie fan you can prep your smoothie base the night before and pop the blender canister in the refrigerator.  I add my milk, yogurt, vanilla and fax oil together before I go to bed. Then in the morning all I need to do is add my fruit, honey and ice. This is great if you’re on the go for work, church or the home school co-op.

Actually, you can add fresh peaches and berries the night before too but bananas tend to get too mushy for my liking and I find peanut butter and coconut oil get too hard for blending. This could just be because my blender is as old as I am. (Seriously, it was my grandmother’s blender and she gave it to me when I got my first house.)

Shared:

Weekend Whatever

The Gathering Spot

The post Busy Mom Breakfast Make Aheads appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

Today is installment two off a multi-post series on the misconceptions of women.  Everywhere we look we see women in roles or seasons of life that get stereotypically categorized as this or that. Perhaps you are one of these women or perhaps you have never stopped to understand these women.  This series is meant to expel some of those stereotypes and give you a different perspective of women who sometimes get a blanket judgement. 

Last week we looked at the private life of a pastor’s wife. Today we’re taking a peek into the life of a homeschooling mama as Kristen shares her thoughts and her own past judgments of homeschooling moms and families.

Have you met the typical homeschool mom?

You know, the one who has far more children than the average 2-child family does, all of whom are fluent in three languages, have won multiple spelling and Bible bees, and preform as a small orchestra at local senior centers?

Wait, maybe that’s not her.

Maybe she’s the one that is up every morning at 5am so that she can grind the day’s multigrain flour and have a homemade and nutritiously sound breakfast on the table when her children enter the spotless dining room at precisely 7am, all dressed with neatly combed hair and smiling faces?

Perhaps I have her confused with someone else.

She must be the one that stays in her pajamas and robe until the afternoon, along with her disheveled crew. They kind of get around to a little bit of work after the morning’s cartoons are done and after everyone has had their fourth bowl of Fruit Loops.

No, wait.

The typical homeschooling mom is actually the one who has a high and mighty air about her when she’s with other moms who have chosen to use the public school system or have their children in a private school. She may not say things out loud, but everyone knows she’s thinking less of them.

Actually, the typical homeschool mom oozes with patience, love, and immense educational understanding. She’s like the perfect preschool teacher combined with the most brilliant university professor, and nothing that her children do or say could ever stump or exasperate her.

Or is she? What exactly makes a typical homeschool mom?

Any, all, or none of that might make a homeschooling mom, and there’s clearly no perfect or typical combination. If you know one homeschooling mom, chances are, the next one you meet will be very different. The mom that has a schoolroom set up in her home, complete with desks and a chalkboard, is probably quite opposite from the unschooling mom that chooses to provide her children with an unstructured learning environment. Just like there is a wide variety of moms in general, there is a wide variety of homeschooling moms in particular.

Though I am a homeschooling mom, I’ve been guilty of stereotyping homeschooling families. I saw a homeschooling game day event on our local library’s calendar, so I went with our children. I walked past the room that I thought it was in, but when I saw the family in there, I thought “That must not be it.” I double-checked, and in fact, it was. The family used a very different style of homeschooling and parenting than our family does, and because they looked different, I assumed they must not be home educators. I forgot that families choose to homeschool for many different reasons, and there are many varied approaches to teaching them. I was caught in the “typical homeschool mom” mindset, and I was wrong.

So who is the typical homeschooling mom?

She is a real woman, like any other mom. She gets tired. She gets frustrated. She doesn’t know all of the answers, and she asks a lot of questions. She doubts herself and her abilities, but for one reason or another, she feels committed to educating her children at home. She might be a Suzy homemaker, a crunchy granola-baker, an outdoors trail-walker, or a library book-stalker.

I am a typical homeschooling mom. I don’t wear a cape, and I can guarantee you that I don’t have any super-mom powers. I want our children to get a superior, Christ-centered education through our homeschool, but I don’t expect to be able to do it all myself. I will need help. I’ll hit dead ends. I’ll make mistakes. I’ll be impatient. Just like all of the other typical homeschooling moms.

We’re really pretty normal people.

Have you had a wrong idea of what a home schooling mom does? What changed your mind?

Kristen is a homeschooling mama who enjoys whole foods and living naturally.  She blogs at Smithspirations.

Shared:
Time Warp Wife

Heavenly Homemakers

Weekend Whatever

The post Misconceptions Of: The Homeschool Mom appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

Beauty is more than skin deep, and this week’s bundle is designed to help you feel beautiful from the inside out! Discover the secrets to jump starting your energy, inspiration to get your weight under control, and beauty and fashion tips to help you prioritize yourself even as you juggle your busy life — all for 75% off, this week only!

Embracing Beauty by Trina Holden
In this candid and sometimes hilarious book, Trina shares her journey to embracing beauty in the season of motherhood. Every chapter is crammed with practical inspiration and tips for defining your style, choosing clothes and accessories that work for you, and combining it all into a look that will bring joy and confidence to your day.

The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley Morgan
The No Brainer Wardrobe is a book to help women learn to love the clothes they have, lose the clothes they hate, and shop for items to fill the gaps. Hayley offers images outlining outfit selections, tips for how to shop, and instructions for creating a lookbook plus encouragement to help you save time and money and feel great in what you wear.

Energy Explosion by Arabah Joy
Energy Explosion will give you the plan you need to regain your energy. In this 7-day guide, Arabah gives step-by-step instructions for jump starting your energy by addressing your body, mind and spirit, plus printable charts and checklists to track your progress!

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae
Getting dressed in the morning often makes us more hospitable, more productive, more playful and more energized. In Frumps to Pumps, a one-month motivotional (motivation + devotional) from popular author Sarah Mae, you’ll find encouragement and practical tips to help you get into the habit of getting dressed so you can love people (and yourself) well.

100 Pound Loser by Jessica Heights
Jessica’s 100-pound weight loss story is inspiring, encouraging and motivating. In this short but candid ebook, she shares her story plus practical advice to help readers conquer their weight loss goals and appreciate their bodies, regardless of the numbers on the scale.

The Beauty & Fashion bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 5/20. Get yours today:

The post Bundle of the Week: Beauty & Fashion appeared first on More Than Four Walls.

I haven’t fried a pound of bacon in years.

Those of you who know of my love of all things bacon may find that strange.

It’s not that I don’t make bacon, I just don’t fry it anymore. You see I love bacon but the lingering smell of grease for days on end in the kitchen I do not love.  Nor do I love cleaning up grease.

So what do I do?

I bake bacon.

It’s pretty simple.

How to Bake Bacon

Oven to 425 or 450. For me this depends on the oven (the camper vs the house) and how long I have to wait.

Lay your bacon out in any pan with sides. You need sides to keep grease from getting all over the oven…unless you like to clean your oven.  I use my Pampered Chef bar pan.

Put the pan in the oven.

Bake.

Check bacon after 15 minutes for crispiness and remove when it has reached your idea of perfection.

If Brad is home I pull out a few pieces of no-so-crispy bacon for him and leave the rest in for Wyatt and I.

Clean up is easy too.  I let the pan cool so the grease hardens and then scrap it with a spoon.

The other great thing about baking bacon is that you don’t have to stand over the pan watching it.  You can work on making your French toast or change a diaper with little concern that it will get done too fast and burn.

Have you ever baked bacon?

Shared:

The Gathering Spot

Time Warp Wife

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