Meal Planning System and Homemade Split Pea Soup – HBHW Newsletter

September 23rd, 2010

Editorial

Hello again and welcome to another edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. Thank you for your patience while I worked to pull this newsletter together.  I know it will be worth the wait once you take a look at the special offer our sponsor has for you.

I am also featuring an article in which I interview our sponsor, Christine Steendahl of Menu Planning Center.  I hope you’ll scroll down and click on the link to this article as I know you’ll find so many useful tips and ideas for your own family’s meals.

The inspirational quote and story I’ve chosen this week are about meals, or more specifically, sharing meals.  Since meals and meal planning are on my mind, I thought I’d find a story and quote that reflects my feelings about food. I hope you’ll take a moment or two out of your busy day to read and reflect on this week’s quote and story.

Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Inspirational Quote

If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.
~Buddha~

Sponsor

I Highly Recommend  Meal Planning System

Today’s sponsor is one I definitely don’t want you to scroll by.  Christine Steendahl of Menu Planning Central is making you an offer you simply should not refuse.  Anytime you see a Half-off Sale you just have to stop and take a look, right?  I know I do!

Christine’s Meal Planning System is something I’ve used for years and, believe me, it has saved me more money than I dreamed possible.  And not just money, but that other valuable commodity – time.

Of course, the Meal Planning System alone is a steal at 50% off, but Christine is throwing in some more goodies! Free with your order today are these 8 bonus gifts worth over $178 if purchased separately:

• Family Brunch Recipes
• Family Routines
• Fun Foods For Kids
• Healthy Meals and Snacks
• More Energy For Mom
• Quick and Easy Breakfasts
• Easy Brown Bag Lunches
• Craft Ideas For Kids

Christine doesn’t stop there either.  When you order your Meal Planning System today at 50% off, she’ll also give you instant access to even more bonuses!  Christine wants you to know the pleasure of having meals on the table each and every day for less money and effort and is so committed to having you try this system that she offers you a full money back guarantee.

Try Christine’s Meal Planning System for 14 days risk free at this incredible Half-Off price of only $9.97 a month.  Or, you may want to sign up for a lifetime membership to the Meal Planning System for a special one-time low price.

Not sure this Meal Planning System is for you?  Maybe you’re not convinced yet that menu planning really saves money.  If not, please take just a few minutes and click on to get a sneak peek of all the Meal Planning System has to offer.  Be sure to scroll down and watch the video, too.  Then click on to order and enjoy this risk free offer at half price.  Don’t wait – this offer expires Friday!

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Featured Article

As I mentioned earlier, this week’s featured article is an interview that I did with Christine Steendahl, The Menu Mom.  She shares some great tips and ideas, as well as her own favorite recipe!  Be sure to click on the article link below and read how Christine figured out the ins-and-outs of saving money by planning her family’s meals.

Family Meal Planning – An Interview With Christine Steendahl

Recipe Sharing

Since we’re talking today about food and sharing meals, I thought I’d share one of the recipes posted here at HBHW.  I hope you’ll find time to try this delicious dish soon:

Homemade Split Pea Soup

• meaty ham bone
• 8 cups water
• 1 pkg split peas
• 1 cup carrots (grated)
• 1 cup onions (diced)
• 1 cup celery (chopped)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Place all ingredients into a large pot and cook on low heat for about 3 hours. Most of the meat will fall off the bone while cooking. You should remove the remaining meat from the bone to put back into the soup and dispose of the bone.

For a finer, smooth consistency place soup into a blender after cooking and “pulse” until you get your desired consistency.

You can also cook this soup in the crockpot. About 3 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low will do the trick.

Healthy Hillbilly Housewife

Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com

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Frugal Tips

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Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

Recipes

Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!

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Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.

I’m Looking For:

This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.

I’m Looking For Requests
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I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
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Inspirational Story

A Very Special Meal
~Mirabai Chrin~

Once there was a very poor and devoted woman who always prayed to the Glory of God, asking very little, if anything for herself. But one thought, one desire continued to recur and finally she asked: petitioning the Lord, that if it were possible she would love to prepare a special meal and have God share at her table. And God, in His Love for this goodly woman, said He would indeed come the next day and share a meal.

Filled with ecstasy, the woman went out the following morning with her meager purse and purchased such delicacies that she felt would please the Lord.

Returning home, she prepared a banquet and waited patiently for her most honored guest. Soon there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, there stood an old beggar asking for something to eat. Being a woman of God, she could not turn the beggar away, so she invited him in to partake of her table. The beggar felt as if he was in a dream – such a feast set before him. He finished all the food, thanked his hostess and left.

The woman was only slightly disheartened, she gathered up her purse, her coat, and hurried back to town to get more food for her special guest. Her funds were less now and so the food was not quite so elaborate. Nonetheless, she lovingly prepared another meal and sat to await the arrival of the Almighty.

A few hours went by and there was a loud knock on the door. This time it was an old gypsy woman with no teeth, who was deaf, who spoke quite loudly and was, rather rudely, insisting that any true believer in the Lord would not deny her something to eat.

Though the woman had no more money with which to buy more supplies, she invited the woman in and offered her a seat at the table. The gypsy ate everything, did not even thank the woman and left without closing the door.

By now it was beginning to get dark both inside and out. The woman’s faith was strong, so that, though somewhat distraught, she did not give up, but rather, looked around her humble house to see if there was anything she could sell in order to buy more food to set before the Lord.

She hurried to town with a little silver cup that had been in her family for several generations, but she was willing to part with it for the great honor that God was going to bestow on her – the sharing of a meal.

Late in the night she rushed home to prepare yet a third meal. She waited and waited until, once more, there was a knock on the door. Holding her breath, she slowly opened the door to find yet another poor man in the guise of a wandering monk, in search of a meal.

Again, she offered hospitality, with as much grace as she could muster in her disappointment. This man also ate all that was set on the table and left after blessing the woman for her kindness. So discouraged and dismayed was she that all she could do was nod slightly, in acknowledgment of the thanks.

Now it was too late, with no way to buy any more food and no more money with which to buy it. She got down on her knees, weeping such heart-broken tears. She asked God what she had done wrong. Why had God not come to share at the table as He had promised?

And God, in all His Divine Compassion and Mercy, lifted the woman off her knees, and holding her close to His Heart, said, “My child, I enjoyed your hospitality so much that I came three times!”

Final Thought

That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife