From Hopeful WAHM to Entrepreneur: How This Mom Did It - WAHM.com

From Hopeful WAHM to Entrepreneur: How This Mom Did It - WAHM.comFrom Hopeful WAHM to Entrepreneur: How This Mom Did It - WAHM.com

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

With so many busy parents on the web and IBOtoolbox, I just wanted to share an easy recipe that may help some of you out in the kitchen.  I got this recipe from a cookbook that I have had for a long time.  I was looking through it last night trying to find easy recipes to accommodate my busy schedule. This particular recipe itself belongs to Cheryl Bartel of Hillsboro, KS. I have not tried it myself yet, but I have heard that slow cooker macaroni and cheese is delicious.

Ingredients:

8 oz dry elbow macaroni, cooked

3-4 cups (about 3/4lb) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

13 oz can evaporated milk

1 1/2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

chopped onion to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients, except for 1 cup of the cheese, in a greased slow cooker.  Sprinkle the reserved cup of cheese over the top.

2. Cover and cook the  mixture on low for 3 -4 hours. Do not remove the lid or stir until the mixture has finished cooking.

Variation:

For some extra zest, you can add 1/2 tsp of dry mustard when combining all the ingredients.  You can also add thin slices of cheese to the top of the cooker mixer.  These variations are courtesy of Dorothy M. Pittman of Pickens, SC.

I will definitely be trying this recipe out the next time that I decided to make macaroni and cheese.  I hope that this is very helpful to you and that your family enjoys it as much as I know that mine will.

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"What is your reason for looking into working for yourself?

I have been thinking about the reasons that I am pursuing working for myself a lot lately.  I currently work two part time jobs outside of the home.  I work from 7:30 am until 12 pm on Monday through Thursday and 7:30 am until 2 pm on Friday in the computer lab at the college that I attend.  I also work from 3 pm until 8 pm at a distribution center that manufactures products for GNC.  As I mentioned before, I also attend school part time.

Right now I need both of these jobs just to make ends meet.  I have missed out on so much time with my kids over the years, because I have always had to work.  My kids are now 17 and 12.  My daughter only has one year of high school left, and then she will be leaving home for college.  Even though I have always tried to be an active parent, work has caused me to miss out on a lot of things over the past 17 years.

My main reason for working so hard to build a home based business for myself is the ability to be there for my kids more.  When I build my online income enough to supplement my computer lab job, I am going to quit my second job.

I would like to have more time for my kids and future grand kids in the future than I have in the past.  I also got engaged on Valentine's Day and would like to have time to enjoy life with my partner.

These are the things that motivate me to keep going when I get discouraged.  I hope that all of you reading this will think about the reasons that you started your own businesses whenever things get hard.

Work at home. NO fees.

Tips for saving time in the morning

Here are a few tips and shortcuts that can help you get out the door a little earlier in the mornings.

* Try a wrinkle releaser instead o ironing, or iron at night.

* Make a to do list each night for the next day.  This could also help you sleep better, because you will go to bed with less on your  mind.

* Go ahead and pick your outfit for the following day the night before.

* Know what the weather is going to be like the next day.  This will help you choose your outfit for the day.

* Another good idea is to have your outfits planned for the whole week.  You can label your hangers with the days of the week to keep your outfits organized.

* Prepare lunch for your kids and yourself ahead of time.  Eating a lunch that is prepared at home will not only save you time but it will also save you money.

* Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up.  This will boost your energy and help your body wake up.

* Go to bed at the same time each night.  You tend to rest better when you follow a routine.  Better sleep can be better than more sleep.

* If you workout in the mornings, go to sleep in your workout clothes.

* Brush your teeth in the shower.

* Set your coffee maker to start brewing 10 minutes before your alarm goes off.

* Place your keys on top of anything that you don't want to forget in the morning.

* Avoid hitting the "snooze" button. If you drift back off to sleep, you will restart your brain's sleep cycle.  This will cause you to be even groggier when you get out of bed.

Along with these tips, our Thrive product line will help you get your day off to a great start and help you feel better all day by putting your body at it's peak physical and mental level.  It's quick and easy.  Just take 2 capsules on an empty stomach as soon as you wake up, followed by the shake mix about 40 mins later & apply the DFT patch before you walk out the door. It's simple as 1-2-3.  Contact me for more info, samples or to get started. Click here to find out more about the Thrive 8 wk Experience!

Quick and Easy Meals for Busy Parents

I know that a lot of us are trying to balance our businesses and careers with our family lives.  This can be sometimes hard.  Just having enough time to prepare a home cooked meal sometimes seems impossible. As soon as I get off from work my kids are calling me to ask what we are going to have for dinner that night. 

Being that I am so busy and often tired, I pick up something from a restaurant at least a couple nights a week.  Plus we sometimes eat out on Saturdays.  Eating out so much can be very unhealthy and quite expensive. I have been looking for a way to fit a home cooked meal into my busy daily schedule and wanted to share the links to a few easy recipes that I found.  

These are not my recipes.  I found them by searching the internet.  I hope that they will be helpful to all of you busy parents out there.

You can find Simple 5 ingredient recipes at http://www.myrecipes.com/quick-and-easy/5-ingredients-or-less/simple-dinner-recipes-for-the-family-10000001823014/

Here are some great 15 minute meals that are very affordable  http://www.allyou.com/food/family-meals/easy-and-quick-dinners/simple-salmon-recipe

Here is a link to chicken dinners under $2  http://www.allyou.com/food/family-meals/cheap-chicken-dinners

The Busy Moms' Recipe Box is a blog started by two busy moms.  They share recipes that they have found over the years and that work for their families. http://www.busymomsrecipebox.com/

Here you can find 10 Shortcut dinners from Food.com  http://www.food.com/slideshow/10-shortcut-dinners-for-busy-moms-170

There are some great pasta meals under $2 at http://www.allyou.com/food/supercheap-meals/cheap-pasta-meals

Just in time for Easter Allyou.com shares some easy and delicious Easter Dinner recipes athttp://www.allyou.com/food/recipes/easter-meal-recipes

They also share easy (but fancy) finger foods  http://www.allyou.com/food/celebrations/easy-finger-foods

I hope that this list makes cooking easier and more affordable for all of you.