Print this out on cardstock and put it wherever it will remind you that the journey you’re on is a marathon, not a sprint.   I made mine into a magnet for the fridge.  I *hope* that when you click on the printable it will come up full-size.

If you don’t have one or all of my books yet, you can get them here.

Keep it real!

Hi friends!

Congratulations to Linda —she is the winner of the three pack of books from Heidi St. John (that’s me) . Linda was chosen at random by drawing.

Timing on this is GREAT for the rest of you, though, because it just so happens that I am the guest speaker at Mommy’s Jammie Night tomorrow night! They are giving away FOUR packs of the books during the Twitter Party and webinar tomorrow night. I’ll be talking about marriage and homeschooling. I’ll even be sharing some great pictures and stories for ya’ll to hear/see.  I look forward to “seeing” you tomorrow, in your jammies!

http://mediaangels.com/expos/giveaways-2/

Here’s the link to the webinar:
Time: 9 PM ET

http://www.MediaAngels.com/expos/listen-live

Handout is here:

http://mediaangels.com/files/MommysJammiesNight/MommyJammieNightTwitterParty_May2012.pdf

Blessings!
Heidi

Best.Salsa.Ever.

So … I am a HUGE salsa fan. I like it HOT. (Can you imagine?)

I started making salsa years ago and when I started I did things the “purist” way … even fire-roasted tomatoes! Well, five children later, I’ve graduated to canned tomatoes and I have to say that they taste every bit as good because all the other ingredients really “make” the salsa!

Here’s my recipe for my favorite salsa, and a few tips for those of you with more “mild” tastes:

1. If you don’t like SPICY salsa, you can cut down on the heat by taking out the seeds in the jalapenos and all the white membrane that holds the seeds. **word to the wise** Be careful with jalapenos! I’m here to tell ya, I made the mistake one time of taking out my contacts with jalepeno still on my hands.  It.Wasn’t.Pleasant.  WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY after handling jalapeno peppers.
2. Chipotle peppers are just smoked jalapeno peppers in yummy sauce. They can be hot. If you want a more mild recipe, simply cut the amount of chipotle pepper but don’t cut it out entirely. That yummy smoked flavor is AMAZING in salsa.
3. Use fresh ground pepper if you can. It’s the best.

So without further adieu, here’s my secret recipe! Enjoy!

1 large white onion
1 red pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes – drained
3 jalapenos – seed them to remove the “heat” (I like mine HOT)
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro (yes the whole bunch)
1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 T white vinegar
1 T lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Adding these first helps keep the tomatoes from becoming "soupy"

Add these to your food processor and blend FIRST.

• Onion
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno

Add the tomatoes last and pulse your food processor. The trick is to get it the consistency that you like it. It might take a few tries but keep at it. It’s worth it!

After you have blended those, add your liquid smoke (Optional if you don’t have it. Don’t run out to the store, just buy it for next time.), vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper & chipotle pepper.

Blend. Add the drained cans of diced tomatoes LAST. Taste for salt and pepper. Remember to PULSE your food processor. You want salsa, not soup.

This will make a whole lotta salsa! Enough to feed a crowd. Maybe it’s time to have some friends over… !

Enjoy!
Heidi

Put the red pepper, chipotle peppers, garlic cloves, salt and pepper in at the same time.

Use this graphic ... give it to your man!

Good morning moms! So Fridays are the busiest day of the week over here. We have our co-op at First Class and then it’s errand day. I like to get lots of things done on one day. It’s one of the ways I save my ever-so-fragile sanity. )
…
Just wanted to pop in and remind you to LOVE THAT MAN OF YOURS! Remember, you’re THAT GIRL! I’m putting the bookmark up again from last week, in case you missed it—so you’ve got ALL DAY to copy this, text it, paste it on your husband’s wall, email it … or…. my favorite: tape it to the shower head.

Have a great day! Keep the home fires burnin’! It’s worth it!

Investing in your marriage is the BEST thing you can do for your children … and it’s good for you and hubby, too.    Marriage is a gift!

Enjoy it

Love,

Heidi

It’s MAY. I’ve been homeschooling for 14 years straight, and here’s what May has come to mean to me.

Good Morning, Busy Homeschool Moms!

Here is your next journal prompt.

My favorite meal to create for our family is:

If you wish to share your answer, please  leave a comment! Feel free to do so here on my Facebook page.

P.S.
Don’t have my journal yet? Easy! Visit my bookstore to get your very own!

I am a huge fan of using my CrockPot!  I just love easy-peasy yummy meals that will feed a crowd – mostly ’cause that’s what I’ve got at my house. A crowd.

This is one of my favorites.  Enjoy!  Thanks to my sweet friend Lisa over at Simply This That and the Other for the picture!

Heidi’s Crockin’ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

*make ahead in your slow cooker

Ingredients:

Shoulder Pork Roast (a loin roast is fine but it will take longer)

Whole cloves if you have them
Salt
Pepper
¼ cup chili powder

½ cup water
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Hoagie rolls or hamburger buns

Let your slow cooker do the work for you!  Start this recipe in the morning or cook it overnight!
Directions:

Poke small holes in roast with a knife and insert whole cloves into the roast. Do this as many times as you like.

Place water and chili powder in the slow cooker and add the clove-studded roast. Add salt and pepper. Cover.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When done, the meat should shred very easily.. Take the roast out of the slow cooker. Remove the cloves and discard. Cut away any fat. Shred the remaining meat and place into large bowl.

Dump BBQ sauce into the bowl and add some leftover broth (fat skimmed off) from the slow cooker to the meat until it the shredded pork is the desired consistency.

Serve on hoagie rolls or hamburger buns.

This is an excellent recipe to make ahead. When you’re ready to serve, simply add a little water and reheat. Freezes well.

Thanks Go_Cleaning_Oz from Flickr

Spring is here! Doesn’t that just get you in the mood for organizing and cleaning?

Here are some links that I thought you might find interesting and helpful. ‘Cause we can all use a little inspiration!

As a homeschool mom, homeschool organizing can be tricky! This gal created a wonderful post of ideas just for you!

Want to do some spring cleaning but need to do it fast? How about these shortcuts?

And look what I found over at BHG.com. Now these are great ideas for a quick weekend pick-me-up!

Let’s get real here. How is your kitchen organization? Truth is, I think most kitchens could use at least a little bit of inspiration. Check out these fun printables for your kitchen. Me like!

And I really did save the best for last. Have you seen Cozi? Oh. My. Word. This is one of my new favorite online tools. Wow! They even have a place to keep all of your recipes online! ~ Swoon ~

Good Morning, Busy Homeschool Moms!

Here is your next journal prompt.

My favorite room in my house is:

If you wish to share your answer, please either comment here or on my Facebook page.

Don’t have my journal yet? Easy! Visit my bookstore to get your very own!

~Heidi St. John

Good Morning, Busy Homeschool Moms!

Here is your next journal prompt.

I am going to make my family smile today by:

If you wish to share your answer, please either comment here or on my Facebook page.

Don’t have my journal yet? Easy! Visit my bookstore to get your very own!

~Heidi St. John