I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all! 

"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." Luke 1:35

My grandma's hamburger gravy.

My Grandma's Hamburger Gravy

When I think of comfort food or I am craving something warm and filling (especially during winter), my grandmas "hamburger gravy" recipe always hits the spot! It is a simple recipe that will hit the spot and you can make it for a quick weekday dinner.

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey for a healthier version)

1 can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

1 small-medium yellow onion

Garlic pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

White or wheat bread (as long as it's soft)

*Mashed potatoes

*Note: Your can choose to make your own mashed potatoes or use boxed potatoes for a faster option. 

Directions: (If you are going to make our own mashed potatoes start those first)

-Place the ground beef in your frying pan and season with garlic powder, salt & pepper.

-Once the meat is almost brown add in your onions.

-Once your meat is completely browned add in the can of cream of mushroom and about 1/2 cup of water (as needed)

-Let the meat simmer for about 5 minutes until heated all the way through

Once you have your potatoes and meat done, place two sliced of bread on a plate and top them with a generous helping of mash potatoes (spread around so the bread is completely covered), then put the hamburger mixture on the top and garnish as you please!

Enjoy!

-Sara

The things that make me happy.

 Having lunch with my sweet girl <3

 Random adventures

Exploring nature and taking a break to blow bubbles

 The sky & the pretty clouds

 Long walks and great views of the city

 Beautiful sunset

Bright and sunny days...

Homemade, DIY, Lemon infused vinegar cleaner (part 2)

There are two methods I use to make my all-purpose spray; this really depends on the current situation. Sometimes I just need to whip up some in a pinch or let’s face it, I got lazy or  I forget that I was running low, so for those situations I use this method:

What you will need:

Spray bottle

White vinegar

Essential oils (I use lemon, but choose whatever scent you prefer)

Directions:

Add in about 15-20 drops of essential oil

Pour in equal parts of water and water

Gently shake

After this I tend to test it out to see if I need any more of the essential oils to mask the smell of vinegar. However, I don’t always use essential oils since sometimes I run out and forget to order some. This isn't a big deal because the vinegar scent goes away as soon as it dries.

Infused vinegar method:

This second method is going to have to sit for about 2 ½ - 3 weeks so be sure to plan ahead if you are choosing to make it this way.

What you will need:

4 cups white vinegar

About 13 lemon & orange rinds (use whatever citrus fruits you prefer)

A mason jar (or several depending on their size) to put your ingredients in

Directions:

Place the rinds & the vinegar in the mason jar(s) & cover it

Let it sit for 2 ½-3 weeks

After that all you need to do it take out the rinds and put in your spray bottle

And just like that have a great smelling, non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner!

-Sara

DIY, natural, non-toxic cleaning tips (3 part series):

In the last 6 months I have been transitioning my house to a more natural way of doing things. This means we are eating wholesome, homemade, and non-processed foods (for the most part, we all need a cheat meal once in a while). As well as transitioning to using natural household cleaners.

Have you ever taken the time to read the label of some of the common house cleaners under your sink? If you have, you would realize how toxic and bad for us (and the environment) a lot of those products are. What if you could make your own cleaning products at home for a fraction of the cost and it wouldn't pose any health risk to your family? That is what I was searching to figure out and I have come up with some basic cleaning recipes and ideas that work really well!

The number one product we use in this house when it comes to cleaning is good old-fashion white vinegar. Call me crazy, but it really works! Vinegar is a great disinfectant, killing most germs, bacteria and even mold. I use vinegar everywhere, the counters, stove top, sink, bathroom, even on glass (no, it doesn't streak.)

Another product I use often is baking soda. I use this on my stove top, sinks, bathtub, and in the toilet among other places. It is good at getting grease off, making things shine and is an excellent deodorizer.

I encourage everyone to give these a try, it is safe and cheap! Why waste your money on toxic cleaning products when you make them yourself? I also like the fact that I am a lot more comfortable letting my five year old help me with cleaning, this way I don't have to worry about her inhaling dangerous fumes or accidentally ingesting something toxic.

There are a few simple recipes I use to make my vinegar cleaning spray, see part two of my series and click the link bellow:

http://oldfashionmeetsmoderndaymomma.blogspot.com/2013/12/homemade-diy-lemon-infused-vinegar.html

-Sara

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Extra Cheesy- Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I made several different side dishes for Thanksgiving this year and I decided to share one that ended up being a big hit in this house.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk (I used 1%)

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons garlic powder (use more of less depending on taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 large egg

12 ounces shredded cheddar

About ½ small brick of Velveeta (original flavor)

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

Optional: Pinch of cayenne

For the topping:

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs (or other bread crumbs of choice)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook your pasta according to the packages directions.

While the pasta is cooking, melt your butter & whisk in the flour for about five minutes (you don’t want any clumps).

Stir in remaining ingredients and keep stirring until Velveeta is completely melted and all the ingredients are well blended (about 5-10 minutes).

Note: Leave some cheese to sprinkle on top or just use some extra as I did.

Fold the macaroni into the mix & pour into a casserole dish.

 For the bread-crumb topping you want to melt the butter in a pan and coat the bread crumbs in it.

Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs & bake for about ½ hour or more. (Depending on how browned you like the top of it).

Let this dish set for a few minutes before serving, enjoy!

-Sara

Food for thought.

“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.” ― Shauna Niequist

 (pretty clouds)

 (beautiful sunset)

(enjoying the last of the fall weather before winter comes)

This quote made me smile this morning and gave me a chance to reflect on things before starting my day. It made me wonder how I can find the joy in any situation or circumstance? There is so much beauty and joy in life even when we don't think there is anything to smile about anymore. Just like everyone else in this world I struggle and get caught up in things that aren't important, and sometimes life in general is just hard! However, I think it is important for all of us to take a step back and realize how much joy we can find in the simple things and that most things that society deems as important (money, status, material things) won't really matter in the end. We make a choice everyday whether or not we are going to be thankful for what we do have and see the good or the bad in any situation. Which one will you choose to do?

-Sara

A new start

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers  or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. " Titus 2

This is the type of woman that I am striving to be, just as the Lord intended. However, I am not perfect and I am broken in so many ways and this is something I struggle with everyday...... I am thankful for the Lord's grace! 

This blog will share the adventures, joy, tears, and sometimes chaos of my everyday life as a follower of Christ, wife and momma to a sweet little girl. 

-Sara