The Hole in Our Holiness

hmm. . . thinking on this today.

The Hole in Our Holiness

Clothing the Masses

I know that many people wonder just how it is possible to provide for 10 children.

You know. . . HOW, exactly, do we feed and clothe them all.

I get it. I know that it seems illogical and somewhat impossible.

But, do you know that the Lord has this AMAZING way of providing for all of our needs?

He is good. He is Sovereign.

Why would we EVER doubt

that he will provide for our needs?

He will.

He will provide.

He always does.

He always has.

and, He commands us to REMEMBER his faithfulness!

so. . .

Just so I don't forget, here is how we have been blessed in the clothing department:

• We have boxes of clothing in our closets and garage that are sorted by gender, size, and season. Most of these are hand-me downs from neighbors and friends. They are all in great condition. Whenever I need a new pair of jeans for one of the kids (usually the boys wear their's out first), I can run out and find a pair that fits. Awesome!

• We also have shoes, sandals, boots, etc. . . same story, basically.

• Late in the summer I sorted through all of the clothes the kids have for winter (took 2 days!) and then went thrift-storing with a good friend. I managed to purchase almost everything that 10 children needed for fall/winter for about $250. That is about $25 per child!

• Growing feet, and wet, cold winters meant that we really did need new snow boots for 7 of the children this year. UGH. Not cheap! We HAVE tried the thrift-store, hand me down boot thing and usually end up regretting it every day the children come in with soaking wet red little toes. . . but, I happened upon a GREAT sale at a well-known children's catalog store and ended up getting an INCREDIBLE deal:

7 Pairs of $30.00 snow boots and a pair of $30.00 snow gloves

for a grand total of:

(drumroll please)

$109.84 (INCLUDING shipping!)

WOW!

Thank you Lord for your provision.

Always.

Help me to remember!

Other mamas of large families: How do you clothe your children without bankrupting your account? Let's share some ideas.

Cilantro Lime Chicken in a Crockpot

YUM!

I love figuring out how to use what we have on hand to whip up a new recipe. A few weeks ago, Cilantro Lime Chicken was born after eating at Chipotle Grill when we were at T4A (and loving it).

We're having it again tomorrow night. It is so good and my family loved it. I love it because I can throw it together quickly AND cheaply!

Don't forget, we have 12 people (and many boys who eat a bunch), so modify the amounts as needed!

Also, if you remember from previous recipes, I never really measure, so this is my best guess on what I throw in!

CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN IN A POT (crockpot, that is)

Place into a crockpot:

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts *

about 3-4 cups of salsa (I love to use our home-canned salsa from the summer)

about 1 cup of lime juice

about 2 cups of chopped fresh cilantro

water or chicken broth to just cover

(sauteed garlic would also be a great addition - just thought of that)

Cook on Low all day or High for half of the day

An hour before dinner,

take two forks and shred the chicken

add a bag of frozen corn

and give it a stir.

Salt and Pepper to taste

Serve with or over black beans and brown rice and the following salad:

Lettuce, red onion, and red bell pepper.

Dress with salsa and or sour cream as wanted.

If your kids like a little homemade chipotle-ranch dressing, that is good too.

My kids end up mixing it all up together or wrapping it all up in a tortilla.

mmm. . . even my husband who doesn't love chicken actually loves this dish!

*(I throw in the frozen chicken that I keep in my freezer for quick meals. . . you could also use home-de-boned chicken, or fresh ones. . . you could use chicken w/ the bone still in, but the end result would be harder to serve)