Please Help

Yesterday I found out that my insurance company isn't going to pay for the surgery I had back in January. Well they are going to pay only $7,500. My surgery cost $20,000 and then I had a few complications that landed me back in the hospital twice so the figures are going to be closer to about $30,000. I feel I have been misled and misinformed by both the insurance company and my surgical group. I am currently doing all I can to fight it but I have a feeling I will be on the losing end. I am also going to see what I can do to get my costs reduced as I was completely unaware that anything like this would happen.

I am asking for your help today. Even if I do get my costs reduced I will still have to pay quite a bit of money. We do have some money in savings but it will not come close to covering this debt. I am NOT asking you for money!
My husband has asked that I get a job (I'm currently a stay at home wife and mother). I asked him if he would give me a little time to try and find a job working from home before automatically going out the home for work. I do not wish to put my son in daycare and I have strong faith that God will see us through this and provide what we need.

If you or anyone you know is looking for help in your business that I could possibly do from home on my computer will you please contact me at: amanda @ macnidermedia . com (you must remove all the spaces, naturally).

Here are some of my details:

I currently own and operate a small web design business with my husband. It does not bring in enough cash flow to be of any help in this case as we currently do not have any new customers. If you or someone you know needs a professional website please take a look at our portfolio at:
http://www.macnidermedia.com/portfolio.asp.
I can also send you a brochure for a serious inquiry.
My husband is the webdesigner and a very talented artist and also does charicatures. He was even one of those people that did your charicature at Busch Gardens when he was a teenager!

Before I was a mother I worked for two well known television networks as executive secretary and office manager. I currently type 70 wpm. I enjoy typing and database work. My hours at home are very flexible.
I used to be a nursing assistant and medical technician and so I have a working knowledge of medical terms. I am highly organized and extremely dependable and would be happy to supply several references from former bosses.

As an aside, I know that winter is fading and spring is on it's way but I make beautiful and cozy knit winter hats made out of wool. The yarn I use is soft and fuzzy and wonderful to the touch. If you'd like one or would like to get a head start on your Christmas shopping would you please consider ordering one from me? I have several different colors, I'll post samples of color shortly but in the meantime here is a picture of a completed hat in tan:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3642/1257/1600/IMG_6440.jpg

The hat costs $15.00 and shipping to US only is $4.50 (Priority Mail)

Dear readers, thank you for any help or leads you may be able to provide. Please join me in my prayer as I completely turn this burden over to God.

Dandelion Recipes

What could a frugal heart love more than going right out in your own backyard and foraging for food that is just there in the ground. You didn't plant it or care for it, it's just there naturally.

I remember my grandmother telling me that Dandelions could be eaten and I know she mentioned something about Dandelion Wine.

When picking Dandelions to eat make sure they are free from insecticides and steer clear from those growing near well traveled roads.

Frittered blossoms

Pick fully opened blossoms, the bigger the better. Trim stems very close to the heads. Soak in cold salt water for two or three hours. Rinse under cold running water and drain.
You'll need:
One inch of oil in heavy pan
1 and 1/2 cups of finely crushed cracker crumbs Make an egg batter:
2 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Roll drained blossoms in cracker crumbs, then in the egg batter, then cracker crumbs again. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, drain and serve warm. These taste a little like mushrooms.

Dandelion Jelly

This golden clear, delicate tasting jelly is glorious with biscuits and gravy on the first snowy morning of the year.
You'll need:
Quart of fresh, bright dandelion flowers
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
5 1/2 cups of sugar
1 package (1 3/4 oz) powdered pectin
paraffin
Using enamel or stainless steel pan, boil the flowers in 2 quarts of water for 3 to 5 minutes, cool, and strain, pressing the liquid out of the flowers gently. Measure 3 cups of the liquid, add the lemon juice and pectin. Put into a deep jelly kettle and bring to a boil, then add sugar and stir to mix well. Stir and boil for 2 1/2 minutes, or until mixture sheets from a wooden spoon, pour into jelly glasses and seal with melted paraffin when cool .

Dandelion "Coffee"

This really isn't coffee, but it's an interesting hot drink that's easy to make once you've dug the dandelion roots. Scrub the roots well and trim away broken ends and hair roots. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake at 250 - 275 degrees until lightly browned. Cool and grate, grind or put them in a cloth and crush with a hammer.
Pour a cup of boiling water over a scant tablespoon of the crushed root. Let it set for a few minutes, then strain. Add honey, sugar and/or lemon.
Where the plants have had plenty of water the taproot will be fat and comparatively short, but if you're digging in a dry area, the root will be long and thin and much harder to harvest.

Thanks to About.com's Frugal Living