Frugal Foodie

It is has been a hectic couple of weeks around here. School has kept me quite busy and then Easter. Last week we received a call saying the flooring guys would come Monday to lay the vinyl. On Saturday we received a call saying the carpeting came in and they would also lay it so Saturday afternoon and evening was spent moving stuff to prepare the areas.

We were concerned that our house would be torn up for days with work in 3 rooms. Two are small, but still...

We received a call saying they would come at 1 p.m. on Monday. DH and I looked at each other and figured they would come, deliver the stuff, tear up a room and leave.

The three rooms were the laundry room, a very small bathroom, and a bedroom. The first two were vinyl and the second was carpeting. The guys unloaded and the next thing we knew, all three rooms were torn up.

Yikes...but we were pleasantly surprised...the guys worked until 8:30 and finished everything. I'm probably going to offend some folks here, but not once did I see them take out their cell phones to check to their messages!!!!! Could it be they decided it made more sense to be productive?

Anyway, we were delighted and my husband gave them some money to get some food on the way home. It has taken the past few days to get everything in place, but we are extremely pleased. We have lived in our home for 16 years and we have replaced all the flooring. Some of it needed to be replaced before we did it, but we always save up and pay cash for it.

Last weekend before we moved everything I decided to try and organize my kitchen a little better. I checked out books from the library and studied them. I can say I was frustrated because these pantries and drawers looked perfect, then it dawned on me if they were being photographed for a book, of course they were show room perfect. DUH! Anyway, I have some things to donate and my pantry is a little better organized. I also re-seasoned my cast iron skillets since I was cleaning and organizing. I have decided that my pantry will not look show room perfect, but it works for me. Plus, many of my items aren't in perfect containers. I have many of my pastas in jars to keep them fresh and bug free. I do use my pantry and it isn't for show.

I saw a recipe on Facebook for making zucchini chips. Slice them thin, mix with 1 T of olive oil and salt and pepper, bake at 450...sounds yummy. I just happen to have some zucchini in the fridge so I think we will be trying this.

I had to share this chuckle before I write anything else...the neighbor was complaining that is seems like her kids' school is always sending home something for them to buy. I chuckled because every time these kids have a fundraiser, this parent sends them over to us to buy something...I believe the irony was lost on her, but I did get a chuckle out of it anyway.

We hit a bunch of different stores this weekend. Two are our regular haunts, but there were things on sale at others that we wanted, so we stopped and bought there as well.

I made out my grocery list for this week and planned the weekly menus:

Sunday brunch: scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, fruit
Sunday supper: sloppy chicks, salad, chips
Monday: chicken tenders with barbecue sauce, baked potatoes, green beans
Tuesday: pork tenderloin roast with carrots and onions, fingerling potatoes, green beans
Wednesday: pork stew made with leftover pork, carrots, onions, potatoes and zucchini and celery added.
Thursday: Salmon patties, cous cous, green beans, cottage cheese
Friday: Quiche made with leftover sausage, salad

Lunches will be made up of leftovers. I had scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes leftover for two lunches.

Walgreens has eggs for 99 cents a dozen and they had canned salmon on sale. For Easter dinner we are going to have a ham; one of our extra stops was to buy a small ham before they are all picked over. Hence, so many stops.

DH planted onion sets yesterday. He had hoped to plant lettuce, radishes, and carrots today, but it rained pretty hard around lunch time today and things are kind of muddy. We don't have a huge garden spot, but DH uses what he has and I think it really helps with the grocery bills. We are starting some herbs from seeds too. Are you planting a garden this year?

Just typing the title makes me chuckle. It goes back many years ago when the rage was getting those electric warmers and buying those wax things to make your house smell nice...long before Scentsy...which was then a step up from buying dried leaves, buds, and flowers and soaking them in water and warming on the stove. A friend of ours wanted to know what that good smelling stuff was and we told him potpourri. He, though, to be the weirdo that he was, would pronounce it POT pooree. OK, I digress.

Another busy week at work, but that is OK. I did have some random thoughts this week.

We have a mix of ages at work. We have some young staff who are in the 20s, then we have a couple in the 30s, and the age goes all the way to 67. We have one gal who is near 50 and loves to brag that she wears her high school daughter's clothing. I've concluded that the fashion industry truly hates women. The whole skinny jean or skinny pant is one example. We have some gals who are not heavy or overweight, but when they wear these skinny jeans, it shows bulges and lumps and makes them look odd shaped. We have some who are wearing tights and are wearing either shirts or very short minidresses and there isn't much left to the imagination. Then there are those of us who are overweight. Recently there was an article in the paper saying that plus size teens are finding it difficult to locate age appropriate prom dresses simply because they aren't being made. I am not in the market for a prom dress, but I can tell you finding clothing if you are short and overweight is very difficult unless you want to wear stuff that is either ill fitting or huge designs. And I could go on about how much more clothing costs for women than men, but that is another post. Sheesh!

We hit a few flea markets and thrift shops yesterday. We didn't buy a whole lot, but it was nice getting out in the sunshine.

DH has been cleaning up the yard. It has been a hard winter for us and the yard and trees and bushes have taken a beating. But he did come in and tell me some good news! The garlic we planted last fall is coming up! Hope springs! He is now encouraged and is planning his vegetable garden.

We try to hit the library every week. Like everything else, our library has had to make budget cuts. As subscriptions to magazines run out, they aren't being renewed so the magazine selection is dwindling, but I'm still happy to read those that I can. Not only does it save us money, I feel like borrowing and returning the magazines also is a way I don't waste resources by having to figure out what to do with magazines. We get the AARP magazine one and I recycle it when we are finished, but I just feel like it is wasteful to have a ton of magazines.

On the new book selection at our library, I found one called "The Working Class Foodies Cookbook" by Rebecca Lando. It must be a popular one because the stamp says the library got it in July 2013, but I saw it Saturday for the first time.

It has a lot of common sense stuff that I already incorporate such as making my own stock, baking bread, etc. It also reminded me to get up and put the dough together for No Knead Bread.But it sure is nice to be validated. Especially in the past few weeks with some of the comments made about me.

One person told another that I was the frugal one like it was a bad thing. Another made a comment that I must be cheap to always bring my lunch. But this week it seems like the tide is turning. I attended a meeting and like usual, brought my lunch. Someone said she needs to start bringing her lunch since her husband has gotten on her about her spending. Another woman said she and her husband realized they have no savings and had hoped to take their family on vacation this year so she was going to scrounge for snacks at her desk. I kept my mouth shut...I could have given them ideas, but they didn't ask so I didn't offer. As the year progresses, perhaps they are thinking of saving since with the end of school coming, paychecks stop.

DH is itching for spring to get here because he wants to start his vegetable garden. It seems like spring is delayed with our below normal temps. Today is sunny which has lifted many spirits around here.

We don't have a coin jar like many of you on this site, but I have a bank and when it gets heavy, I empty it. I usually ask DH for pennies from his change bowl and he gives them up and usually other change too. He's going to take it to the credit union and put it in savings. I don't get a lot of change because I don't buy a lot of stuff on a daily basis, so it takes a long time for me to get very much change. It's a painless way to add to savings, that's for sure.

There are some weekends where we rarely buy much except groceries and then there are weekends like this one! Yikes!

Kohls sent a 20% off card which I've been waiting for. I need a new pair of sneakers. No, not want, but need. Mine are over two years old and they are hurting my feet. I really wanted to find a new pair and get not only the sale price, but the percentage off. That was accomplished Friday and then we went to the grocery store.

Saturday was expensive, but not unplanned. Staples had an ad last weekend for 15% off one item. My printer ink needed to be replenished so, used that for that as well as took the empty cartridges back for a refund. Then we hit Lowe's to buy a few things. Last spring we had hardwood floors put in. I really like them and want to keep them nice. So, we bought some hardwood cleaner. We've used it before and like it so wanted to keep using it, but needed to replenish it. DH needed a new garden tool. The one he had cracked last year and was not repairable. We also bought a few odds and ends that we needed, but had put off buying since this store is aways from our house. We have also been looking at replacing the vinyl in our laundry room. Former owners of the home decided to put carpeting there. Why anyone would put carpeting in a laundry room that is also the go between the house and the garage is beyond me. We have lived here over 16 years and we have been replacing things as we can afford them. Since the room is small and we will have a bunch of vinyl left over, we are going to ask about having the remainder put in the small bathroom and kill two birds with one stone. The guy in flooring was really nice and suggested vinyl tile because it was more economical, but DH and I are not handy, so it is better to spend the money and get it done correctly.

Our local Penney's is closing in May and they are having 40-70% mark downs. I did buy four curtain panels at 60% off to replace some of mine. I am sorry to see yet another business bite the dust in our city; we have the highest unemployment in the state and it seems more and more businesses are shuttering their doors.

Part of me shudders to think of the money we have spent, but then part of me wants to keep things maintained as well.

We did peruse a store with home decoration items yesterday too. We had no intention of buying anything, but like to look around and see what is out there. As we walked out, DH and I said those were some nice things, but so much higher than flea market and thrift store prices. Guess we didn't help that particular store, but such is life.

The past few weeks have been busy and stressful. My principal had knee replacement surgery and due to state testing coming up, there was a lot of work that needed to be completed paperwork wise before the actual testing. Besides the testing, other things were coming due and much of this has become my projects. I'm not complaining. I don't mind pitching in and helping out. But, I come home so exhausted and weekends are spent catching up on domestic things as well as working on school things.

I met someone who is truly someone who doesn't get it finance wise. She thinks she knows all. But it is sad. She gave me some career advice that was both unwanted as well as unnecessary -- I should become an administrator to get more money...that's where the money is. Well, yes, in the way, it is. But, to me there's more to taking a job than the money. Especially one in administration. I have the degree, but I decided that the stress of such a job would do major harm to my health because I am a worrier. Besides, to be a great school administrator one needs to be a leader who can motivate people to do things and know what is right for students. It's more than money.

Anyway, this gal was telling me how she knew she had to make more money so she wouldn't have to eat cat food. This was pretty laughable since she drives a newer Mercedes, has expensive clothes, has a very fancy manicure, and apparently likes to eat at fancy (read expensive) restaurants. Cat food indeed.

So, stress has been on the menu and I need to relax. But I thought I would check in...I have been reading posts here and there trying to keep up with everyone. Hope spring is coming and things slow down a bit.

It's another cold, winter Sunday in the Midwest. We received snow on Friday, a dusting last night, and the forecast for tomorrow is freezing rain. I'm saying it: "UNCLE!" I think we have about a foot of snow on the ground from all the snows. Our driveway is treacherous with snow over the ice.

OK, enough feeling sorry for myself. We have power and heat and we can still get out if we need to. We attended church this morning.

Brunch was scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes. DH was a happy boy. I have enough leftover eggs and pancakes for a lunch this week. Supper will be sloppy chicks and there will be leftover for a couple of lunches.

We hit Walgreens today because they had Maxwell House coffee on sale. DH said he read that coffee prices will probably go up since there has been a drought in Brazil. I normally wait until coffee is on sale anyway, so I have been waiting. I don't drink a pot a day, but I like having some every morning so I did get some while it was on sale. Our local paper had an article on a local business that roasts coffee beans and how they serve specialized coffees. I, apparently, am not a coffee prude. On Saturday I make a little extra and on Sunday I just microwave a cup before going to church. I'm sure the coffee experts are just cringing. I rarely throw out coffee...if I make too much, I often put it in the fridge and serve it over ice for iced coffee. Maybe I'm just a cheapskate. I just hate to waste stuff.

A few years ago I attended a conference and they served coffee and hot tea. With the tea, they even served little jars of honey. I love honey in my tea! So, I grabbed one and used it, but kept the little jar. It has come in handy when I take my leftover pancakes because it has a nice metal cap that seals. I put a little honey in it so I can put it on my pancake at lunch. See...I really hate to throw things away!

This is going to be a crazy week. We have parent conferences after school two nights. We were supposed to have one night last week and one night this week, but 7.5 inches of snow changed last week's date to this week.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out some meals for this week.

For brunch today we had eggs, sausage, and pancakes. There was enough leftover for from lunches. Tonight's supper is sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken), a salad, and chips. I made a large fruit salad yesterday that we will have at meals this week.

Monday night will be pork tenderloin roast with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, and a salad. I will use the leftover pork to make a pork stew for lunches. We had vegetable soup last week and I saved enough so DH can have it for supper Tuesday night while I'm at school.

A friend of mine gave me some ground beef, so I'm going to use some of that and make goulash. That will be supper Wednesday night, then DH can have it again Thursday night when I'm at work and I can heat it up for a meal when I get home.

Friday night is Valentine's Day so we have reservations.

Our pastor is a very kind person. He started his sermon with a reminder to all the men in the congregation...Valentine's Day is coming up this week so don't forget...and card selection is pretty slim on the actual day. He said the reason he knows all this...he forgot one year and didn't get a card and had an unhappy wife, and one year he waited until the day of. It certainly got a chuckle from the congregation.

So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day?

Supper today was using up leftovers...I made a stir fry with leftover pork roast and used leftover broth to cook rice. It was a filling meal and I baked biscuits and used up some vegetables we had in the fridge. Some friends of ours are eating out at least once a day a often complain about how much it costs...I think our total meal including ice tea was way less than $10 and I had enough leftover for a lunch.

I did buy myself a piece of jewelry today. We were perusing a thrift store and I saw a set or blue beads that with tax came to a total of 64 cents. I often wear blue sweaters so I thought this would be a nice change.

Earlier this week one if my coworkers commented she was jealous of my leftover laden lunches and joked she wants to move in with us.

Yep, I have 'em! Baby, it is cold outside and supposed to get colder.

Today is snow day 5 for us. All area schools cancelled school because of the snow. Once it started yesterday afternoon, it came down hard and fast.

I decided that instead of working myself into a frenzy, I would just enjoy the day. So, I got up and exercised and then showered, then enjoyed coffee and some reruns on television. Lunch was a leisurely find what is in the fridge and have a buffet, and I had already put stuff in the Crockpot for beef and barley soup. I had arranged for the guy to plow our driveway and he showed up on schedule and did a wonderful job. He even plowed part of our street so we could get out if need be!

As for spending, I'm not doing any. I'm catching up on reading and emails and just enjoying the day.

As for my feet, I'm going to find my slippers!

A friend I work with stopped to talk to me the other day. She was all excited. In the past few months we have been talking finances when we are alone and a couple of months ago she decided to make some changes in her life. She started a diet and she started looking at ways to truly save money. She figured getting a control on different areas of her life would help her.

She was so excited to tell me about a couple of things she started doing. Around Christmas she and her hubby paid off their credit card bills. They found they had extra money since she was dieting and not going out to eat. So she then decided she was going to try and save up for things and pay cash.

She also decided to start meal planning and cooking ahead. She made up some casseroles and put them in the freezer. She said she is looking for ways to use up foods and it has saved her money.

The other day she went to Kohls to buy something. If she used her credit card she would save extra and get some special deal. So, she used her credit card and then immediately took the cash she had saved and paid off the credit card. She said she had a difficult time describing how happy it made her feel. She feels successful...she has lost weight and has taken control of her finances. I would say she is a success story!

Sometimes I think we need to reflect on our own successes. It is easy to get bogged down by a problem or situation. I am going to make a generalization, but I think everyone on Saving Advice has the desire to improve their finances. Some are willing to make bigger sacrifices, but we each had to start somewhere. For some it is easier than others. But, we need to celebrate our success whether it is large or small.

I look back on my own life. I'm not rich by any means, but I am comfortable. I have far more stuff than I need, far more clothes, a good house, a nice vehicle, and money put aside. I am blessed. Yet I get frustrated when I let something slip by me. I feel guilty if I spend money a lot of the time. If I compared my life to my parents' lives, they would consider me rich. They grew up during the depression and their retirement years were pretty slim. It was a hard scrabble life for much of their time. I had the idea of getting an education basically beat into my mind because they wanted me to do better. And, I believe I have.

I started saving money earlier. I earned a degree and have worked hard to continue to improve so I had the opportunity to make money. And, I have been blessed that I did not have a lot of unemployment in my life.

Sometimes I compare my life to others I grew up with. One person has done extremely well and I think part of it is because they came from some money and weren't afraid to take risks. I am not a risk taker and I wonder if I had taken a few risks, if I would be better off. Then I look at another person who did take some risks and this person is barely scraping by. Who knows what my life could have been.

Anyway, take a moment to pat yourself on the back for the fact you are taking the time to think through how to improve your life and celebrate that!

We had every intention to do some spending today. But, the weather had other plans.

Every so often we go to a small town, Arthur, and shop at at Amish run bulk food store. We buy their sausage patties as well as different other bulk foods. Every Sunday after church I cook up the sausage and we eat some of them and I use the leftovers for other meals in the week. We are using the last package. I normally buy quite a few packages and have them in the freezer.

Well, today's weather was just bad. Not horrible, but bad. We had snow but then the temp raised enough to have rain and the temp kind of bordered around freezing. It was kind of slushy, but kind of chunky too, so we just stayed home.

Lunch was a sausage and pasta tomato based soup I made from leftover sausage, tomato sauce I made last summer and stashed in the freezer, and some medium shells from the pantry cooked together with some homemade chicken broth, celery, and mushrooms. The afternoon was house cleaning and laundry and I also whipped up some laundry detergent.

Supper was a turkey breast I out in the Crockpot this morning, mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, and cottage cheese. I made gravy and we have some turkey, potatoes, and gravy leftover.

Temps are starting to drop and we are to receive freezing rain. I only hope we don't have power outages.

School was called off today because of the cold temps. Someone posted on Facebook that the Farmer's Almanac is calling for 40 inches of snow in February. Not sure if that is true, but if the book says it, I hope it is wrong! That's a lot of snow! Yikes!

This morning was spent cleaning. I cleaned the bathrooms and wiped down the walls. I disinfected toothbrushes and door handles and washed rugs and towels.

This afternoon was tidying papers and cleaning up different spots. I did the coffee maker cleaning thing with vinegar and water and then more water. I need to scrub the pot and I'll be ready to put a filter, coffee, and water in it for tomorrow.

DH delivers books to a shut in once a month and he did that while I was cleaning. This afternoon he took some clothes to donate to the food pantry (they have a free clothing room) as well as egg cartons. They get large containers of eggs and need the cartons to use to give them away so we always save them. It's nice we can help out with something like that. It was on his way to the mall for his 4 mile walk. It is too cold to walk outside!

Judging from the comments on Facebook, my teacher friends are ready to return to work.

Lunch today was the leftover sloppy chicks. There isn't enough for DH's lunch another day so I'm going to add some tomato sauce and red beans for chili for my lunches this week. I fixed ham and beans yesterday for tonight's dinner so he will have leftovers of that for his lunch. I also need to brew tea for iced tea. We usually have 3 pitchers going. A few years back we used to meet some friends at a local sandwich/soup shop and when we would get ready to leave, the woman would always empty her glass of ice and take a glass of their tea home. I thought maybe it was because she liked the tea so well or the blend or something like that. Nope, she said it was too much trouble to brew tea at home so she would have it for a glass later. I tease DH that he is working me to death because I seem to make a lot of tea. We chuckle over it. We drink that with our meals...far more economical than soda and a lot healthier too!

School was called today due to the extreme temps. Although not a true "snow day", we are out.

My day has been spent getting caught up on all those little projects I have put off. We have to make up these days so it really isn't a "free" day.

I read a murder mystery that had some recipes. One was called a "hot dish" and I take it they call casseroles that in Minnesota. Is that true? Anyway, I am going to copy it down and see if we like it. If so, I will share it.

Since I'm staying in, I thought I could use the ham pieces we have in the freezer from Christmas and make ham and beans. It is bubbling away and will make a hearty meal tomorrow night, not to mention a cheap one. I made chicken broth Saturday night using bits and pieces from some chicken we had and some vegetables and herbs.

I didn't care for ham and beans growing up. In hindsight, I think it was because my mom didn't add anything but beans, water, and ham. I decided to revisit ham and beans this year with the huge amount of ham we had left and worked up my own recipe. I do the whole bean soaking thing ahead of time. Then, I saute some onion in a pot with canola oil, and then add the beans, chicken broth, and ham and let it simmer until the beans are soft and the broth has cooked down to what sort of looks like a gravy. I add cumin and tumeric to the cooking as well. Served with cornbread, it makes a hearty and easy meal. I can say, the flavorings do make the difference.

Yesterday was a busy day. We went to church and afterwards came home and I fixed brunch. We buy sausage patties from an Amish bulk goods store and we don't eat them all at one meal. So, I thought instead of cooking them all, I would reserve a couple to add to my ground beef for meatloaf. After eating and cleaning up, we went to Walgreens to get a few things that were on sale. I have their card and I wonder if they notice we only buy stuff on sale.

Anyway, the rest of the day was spent working. I did housework and laundry. And I got a few of our meals ready for the week. Last night was sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken). The leftovers will be a couple of lunches for DH. I put beef and barley vegetable soup on the slow cooker for Monday's meal. This will give us leftovers for lunches. I also mixed up the meatloaf to bake off Tuesday night. I will add potatoes and a friend gave me some homegrown and canned green beans so we will have that. Saturday night we had a pork tenderloin roast so I used that to make pork stew. I was cutting up vegetables for the soup so I just chopped a few more. I checked the freezer and we still have frozen tilipia so that will also be a meal.

We had hit some thrift stores Saturday and found a few items for our booth. My only complaint is one store doesn't seem to wash their items so they were sticky and grimy. I spent some time washing everything. I usually wash everything anyway, but I hate it when it is filthy. I marked the items after this.

At Christmas time my church has a bazaar and we usually go to the luncheon to support the women's mission work. While there I perused the second chance room of donated items for sale. I found one of those mini Crockpots that you can take with you for lunch. It was brand new in the box for $7. I have used it 5 times already and it is handy. It keeps soup hot, but not scalding and sure beats waiting for a microwave. Hence, the reason I am making lots if soups so I have lunches.

I went to bed pretty beat last night. I am glad I have today off for a holiday to rest up. I have already fired up the slow cooker and am ready for another day.

Another weekend has come and it means I had to plan meals and then plan the grocery lists. Thursdays around here before we hit the grocery on Friday are usually clean out the fridge type meals. Last Thursday I used some leftover sausage patties, eggs, and thought I would change things up and make pancakes. I tweaked a recipe I found. This supposedly makes 8 servings so I cut it in half, but it was a hit with DH.

Old fashioned pancakes
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 1/4 cups of buttermilk (made my own with milk ans vinegar)
1 egg
Cooking oil

Mix ingredients except cooking oil. Put oil in heated skilled and drop pancake mixture by desired size. I use a measuring cup and pour it in ...less than 1/4 of a cup for each, but go with what you want. Brown on both sides. I served with syrup and fruit as well as scrambled eggs and leftover sausage.

DH was a happy boy. Plus I used many of the items we had.

Someone on Friday asked me what we had for supper, I told them and they said it sounded good. The next comment was how did I know what we would have. I told them simply...planning.

I know from reading many blogs that thre is a lot of planning going on in other homes so I know I am not alone.

Since I cannot sleep, I was looking for some articles. The new year always has a plethora of articles on saving money.

This one states there are 5 ways stores can get you to spend more money. Some of them I've seen before, but all kind of interesting and worth a second look so I can be prepared. One of them talking about the flooring and shopping carts...here I thought a noisy shopping cart was a way to drive me nuts,

But, overall a quick read and another way to prepare for battle in the marketplace: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/how-stores-trick-you-into-buying-more_n_4557369.html

Supper tonight was a turkey casserole made with leftover turkey, gravy, dressing, and creamed corn. Pretty tasty on a cold, winter night plus enough leftover for DH's lunch. Tomorrow night is the turkey soup I blogged about earlier.

Lunch today was potato soup I made with turkey broth and leftover mashed potatoes. I was repeatedly asked if it was homemade.

We celebrated my birthday last night with friends last night...a week and a day delayed due to the bad weather. Finances came up and it was mentioned how people don't get it on how to save money. I see it every day. And yet, the spending is always rationalized...I worked late, it is only a dollar, I deserve it...our friends said they are seeing the same thing. We discussed how few folks actually cook and how many eat out every day. We don't because it costs extra, but also, eating out no longer is special when you eat out all the time.

Before Christmas a gal I work with did a staff invite to one of the hottest home parties in our area: you pay a set fee and attend the party and then when you get there you put together meals to stuff in your freezer so you have meals available. Supposedly you get ten meals at 5 servings each. The price is about $120.

I guess I'm an old prude, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm sure if you broke it down, the price isn't outrageous, but one is at the mercy of the host/hostess on what the chosen meals are. We don't like hot/spicy stuff and if that was on the agenda, that would be money wasted.

I'm all for free enterprise, but personally, I'm not paying someone to chop some vegetables and cut up meat and this sort of thing. And, I kind of wonder about the 5 servings, but alas, I'm a skeptic.

I have noticed quite a few sites popping up about cooking for a month or making stuff to put in jars. Someone posted this link on Facebook today and I did look at it and it looks like it has some possibilities:

http://www.savebiglivebetter.com/2013/04/472-easy-meals-in-a-jar-recipes.html

First of all, I like the fact jars are used. I do use plastic bags, but I really prefer using glass. But, I'm also kind of liking so much isn't in the freezer. Right now my freezer is kind of full of chicken stock, tomato sauce, and turkey breasts.

Anyway, eating at home saves money and I'm sure my friends probably saved money by heating up some of the stuff they did at the party, that is, if they remember to fix it. But, do you cook for a month or make many freezer meals in advance?

We actually saw a little sunshine today here in Central Illinois...after all the snow, frigid temps, high winds, and dreary days...it was a welcome sight. We had some rain yesterday and although folks were complaining about it, it did make a bunch of the snow go away!

I was upset last night because I thought I lost my scarf. In the winter I keep one with me because cold air bothers my breathing and I often have it over my mouth and nose. I did find it...not only did the expense of replacing it bother me, I'm not sure I would find another. This one is kind of old and it does not contain any acrylic. My skin breaks out when I get around acrylic.

We went to the grocery store last night. DH had hit Aldi and got most of the items we needed there, but there were a few things we needed that Aldi didn't provide. I left in a bad mood. I know the Feds claim there is no inflation, but it seems like we get less and less each time we go to the grocery.

I wanted a new Crockpot to replace one I have. Read: want, not need. DH walks at the mall in bad weather and he found one he thought I wanted, but we weren't sure it was the right size. Maybe on new ones they list the size, but on mine which is kind of old, I could not find the size. He chose well. We went to Sears, bought it, and I used a rewards card and got another dollar and some change off of it as well. I guess what shocked me was this chain store is like a third smaller than it used to be. I knew they hadn't been handling clothes like they used to, but it was scary. I wonder if Sears will be another store filing for bankruptcy soon.

We hit some thrift stores today. It doesn't seem like they are putting much new things out. One in particular we know has a huge storeroom full of things because they take things in year round and keep things for when the specific season is upon us. Are any of you finding the same thing?

We did treat ourselves to brunch out. It was nice to get out and visit before we did our running around. I put a turkey breast in the Crockpot this morning and that will be supper with potatoes and a vegetable and some fruit for dessert. We will have something else with the leftover turkey...I like to think we get our money's worth. I usually make a casserole with stuffing and the leftover gravy. Someone mentioned to me the other day they made turkey soup so I might have to look into that as well.

Years and years ago when in college, I remember asking my mom for a hot pot. She found one on sale. I think I got it for Christmas or my birthday. Since they are so close together, it is hard telling.

I was covetous of this white metal electric pot before I received it. It barely held two teacups of hot water, but this magic little pot in the dorm room meant hot tea or hot chocolate or hot water for instant soup. And believe me, when I got one, it was well used by both my roommate and me.

Back when I was in school, we had pop machines (soda vending to those of you not from Central Illinois) and that was about it on our college campus. My snack cache' consisted of a jar of peanut butter and saltines and an air popcorn popper and popcorn. I didn't have a fridge so I couldn't have butter and didn't know about the salt with the artificial butter. Money was tight for me back then. My parents didn't have a lot either. So, having the pleasure of hot tea or instant hot chocolate was such a treat.

I believe I wore that hot pot out and by then I was out of school. I thought I wouldn't need one because I had a stove and tea kettle.

And there's some pleasure to having the tea kettle boil and whistle...but it isn't as efficient or economical as a hot pot.

So a few years ago when a store was going out of business I decided to buy a hot pot to use at home. I got quite a bit off of it and I bought a Rival because I have had such good luck with Rival Crockpots. This puppy has to be almost ten years old and I use it frequently.

I brew tea for iced tea quite a few times a week. I love a cup of hot tea so I often use it for that. When I need hot water for something, out comes the hot pot and it is pressed into service.

A friend gave us some hot chocolate mix and DH loves anything with chocolate. He shoveled around the mailbox and said he was really cold. I suggested a cup of hot chocolate and he was all for it. I return to work tomorrow and I told him how he could use the hot pot for hot chocolate himself. He was astounded it was that easy.

I love DH dearly, but he's not a mechanical type of guy. He can make toast and reheat in the microwave, but other than that, I'm not sure he feels comfortable with appliances. He was pleased the hot pot was as easy as putting in some water, plugging it in, waiting for the water to get hot, and unplug and use.

I do think it saves us money. I can't imagine buying already made iced tea. And although you can put tea bags in water and it makes tea, I do think brewed tea has a little different flavor. Plus, since it doesn't take a lot of power and time to heat water, I think it is more economical than using the stove. I know someone could say use the microwave, but I'm always unsure of heating water in the microwave. I either get it too hot or it isn't hot enough. But that's just me.

So, something as simple as a hot pot is such a pleasure. And I think I hear another cup of tea calling my name!

I live in Central Illinois. We had a snowstorm yesterday and like much of the country, we have extremely cold temperatures. Wind chills are in double digit negative numbers. Brrrr!

Friday night and Saturday were interesting in our city; people posted photos of the run at grocery stores. I guess many of them ran out of things on the shelves.

Yesterday was my birthday and we originally had planned on going out for pizza with some friends. We changed our plans with the blowing snow, cold temps, and terrible conditions. Since I had anticipated going out, I didn't purchase buns at Aldi for our normal Sunday night sloppy chicks. We had them, but I had no buns, so I baked bread yesterday. I baked small round loaves that after cooling, we sliced for buns. Not too bad and certainly pretty reasonable money wise. I did not plan on hitting the stores Friday night or Saturday just for a package of buns! We had been watching the weather and did our grocery shopping Thursday since I'm off from school.

I imagine most of you have stuff in reserve in your pantry and freezer. I know we do. We eventually would need to replenish some things, but DH was talking last night about how we didn't have to brave the craziness at the grocery stores. I like to find things on sale and stock up.

We are going to pay someone to plow out our driveway. I'm sorry, with over 8 inches of snow received, and then drifting, I am not going to shovel in weather with wind chills of -35. The hospital bill will be more than what we pay the guy to plow our driveway. Maybe that's a weird way of looking at it, but I know it will make me sick if I get out there with my asthma. DH has a little heart condition that we don't want to make worse so I don't want him out in it either plus he froze his lungs a couple of years ago and can't handle extreme cold like he used to.

Hope everyone is warm and safe.

Like much of the country, it is cold out there! Brrr!

We received 5 inches of snow over night and did shovel the driveway and sidewalk up to the front door. We did it in two stages. We went out and did half and then came in and warmed up and then went back out and finished. We didn't want to overdo it because neither of us are in the best of health.

Lunch today was leftover soup from Tuesday which was great the second time around, and sandwiches made from the turkey breast we had last night for supper. Tonight's supper was a casserole made with the remainder of the turkey. DH said it was a hearty meal on a cold night. I think he liked it. It was a recipe I came up with simply to use what I had on hand.

Turkey and macaroni

2 cups of elbow macaroni -- cooked according to package directions or however you like it, drained
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 Parmesan -- shredded
Leftover turkey -- I believe I had about a cup or so
Buttery crackers -- one sleeve
1 cup turkey gravy
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

After cooking the macaroni, drain and put to the side.

Heat up milk and melt cheeses. If it is still soupy, add the cornstarch to thicken. When it gets to the consistency you like, add turkey and macaroni and stir until coated. Add this mixture to a greased casserole dish.

Crush the crackers and add to the top.

Depending on the depth of your casserole dish, base your baking time to this -- if it is a less deep dish, bake at 350 for 30 minutes, covered. If it is deeper, add some time, but be sure it covered.

It was pretty tasty and I think adding different cheeses could change the flavor. We have enough leftover for another meal. If you don't have the gravy, I imagine you could subsititute cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup.


For lunch tomorrow we are having pork stew -- just love using those bits and pieces from the fridge and pantry to make a hearty, reasonably priced meal. It is simmering on the stove. I had turkey broth from last night's turkey, so I am using it. DH made a comment that I certainly got plenty of meals from one small turkey breast.


Stay warm!

The last day of 2013. Wow. I'm a bit melancholy simply because change is often difficult. I was thinking about 2014 and although one always hopes it will be a good year, there is always the fear of the unknown. I could go into rational and irrational fears, but I won't because it could be a downer.

Last fall we were asked at a meeting to talk about something exciting we did over the summer. People had these grandiose stories. I felt like there was something wrong with me. We didn't do tons of stuff. We did take a short vacation and although it was enjoyable, I was happy to get home. I like being at home with my loving husband enjoying the simple things like coffee in the morning, cooking, and reading. It was enjoyable feasting on the stuff from DH's garden. We had fun getting stuff for the booth and setting it up. I am not an exciting person overall. I get more enthused about going to the library than going to the mall. I like to learn.

This morning my husband left to go deliver library books to a shut in. I was straightening up the kitchen and then getting stuff ready to put in a pot to make soup. I sort of reflected on how blessed I really am.

I have a loving spouse who is loyal and kind. I have wonderful friends who care for me. I have a nice home that is warm on these frigid days. I have enough to eat, and more clothes than I really need. I have a good job. I live in a country that allows me many freedoms and rights as well as responsibilities. So, I realize I am blessed.

Looking back on 2013 it was a good year. I saved money and spent money. I learned some new things. Hopefully 2014 will be equally as good.

Our soup is basically a mixture of frozen tomato sauce I made last summer from DH's tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, basil, and oregano. I cut up some celery we had in the fridge and added the remainder of the sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken) we didn't eatafter having it for two meals, and some pasta shells sitting in the pantry. Economical as well as healthy!

Life is kind of like that soup I am making. There are certain non exciting things that are the basis, yet other things that make it flavorful. Hope you have a delicious new year!

The new year is quickly approaching. I don't make resolutions because I'm a realist. If I decide to make a change, I don't do it because of a date on a calendar.

I was thinking of things to do this new year. I have some projects we've been saving for. When we bought our house over 15 years ago, one thing that really bugged me was the previous owners put carpeting in the utility/laundry room. This room is where we come into the house from the garage. Why in the world would they put berber carpeting, and light carpeting at that in there? Well, I think the reason is it made it look brighter and it probably was cheap. Anyway, I know that carpeting is not clean and I'm sick of it. I want plain old vinyl in there.

Another project is I'd like the door replaced on the side of the garage. I've painted it many times, but to be honest, it is an icky looking door and I don't think it is something that would keep anyone out if they wanted to get in. Of course with all the junk in front of it, a would be burglar would have a challenge getting in.

So, now the savings has begun. I noticed in the SA columns Jeffrey had talked about the 52 week challenge and having a separate account for it. I'm not doing the challenge, but I'm on board with having separate accounts. Our credit union is great about letting us have separate accounts. We have a Christmas Club, vacation, regular savings, Golden E, and money market. The first two are pretty self evident. The Golden E, because DH is over 55, gets a little better rate of return, not that any bank or credit union is paying much, so we decided that is our house fund. We've been putting in money to save up for stuff around the house. In a few years we will need a new roof. So, we add money each month to this account for around the house expenses.

Some friends of ours complained the other day that they needed some work done on their house and weren't sure where the money would come from unless they tapped their home equity loan again. Yes, I wrote again. They think we are weird because we pay cash for stuff. Of course they think I'm cheap because we eat at home so much. We could afford to eat out a whole lot more, but to be perfectly honest, I'd rather eat at home, know where the food came from, and have leftovers. And, I know we save a ton of money!

Do you have separate accounts for things?

A friend of mine had a birthday this week. Her daughter asked what she wanted and she said how about a tea party?

As a kid I remember having a little plastic tea set and the doll and I would imbibe, but I never have been to a true tea party.

DH asked if I had tea and crumpets (he certainly watches too much T.V.) and I said no, but there were three kinds of tea and scones and sandwiches and other goodies.

We all sort of dressed up. Dressing up wasn't a prerequisite, but I think the nature of the party made us all want to. Not everyone knew each other, but we all shared the affection for our friend. It was a delightful way to spend the afternoon. I wasn't too sure because I'm not a big party person, but everyone was friendly and we talked and mingled and it was just a very civilized afternoon.

There were vintage tea cups and we oohed and aahed over them. Most were handed down from different family members.

Maybe the English have the right idea after all!

Hope you and yours had a blessed Christmas. We had sufficient to suffice and it was very, very nice!

It's Christmas Eve and I'm doing yet another breathing treatment before I change clothes for Christmas Eve services.

So, to amuse myself, I decided to open the spam folder. Talk about surprises!

I can meet my love match on match.com! Hmmm. Bet my current love match who is cleaning up after supper would be surprised! Not that I'm looking...don't get me wrong. (BTW, DH cleans up after supper...I do all the cooking. Yes, I know, I am very blessed!) EHarmony is so excited they sent me two emails within an hour. I am a very popular person for never having visited either site!

I can keep my penis size forever or so the email says. Golly, that is something I've always wanted...not. I'm female and I don't have penis envy. There's another company with the same sort of offer. Talk about barking up the wrong tree...

My scholarship application is being processed. Even better! I've been out of college over 30 years. Wonder if it is retroactive to then? Imagine the interest on that money...bet I can get my Ph.D.!

There's a KIA clearance going on just for me. Land o'goshen...they apparently don't know me well. Personally, I try not to buy foreign made cars...long story, but my dad drilled in me to buy American. There's also an extend my auto warranty one...is that on my current vehicle or the new Kia?

Two emails from the same company about a platinum credit card...Wow, they really must want me own one. I have two credit cards and that's enough for me at this point. But wait...there's more! Someone is willing to loan me $2500 quickly...might need that if I get that credit card and use it for extension stuff.

Someone is offering me a special Kohls card...I am a popular gal...over 30 spam in one day, and here's another jewel...I can learn a foreign language in ten days. No offense, but I'm having problems remembering English...ask any teacher and we constantly question our own spelling and grammar because both have been butchered so much by students.

Well, I'm gratified to know I'm such a well rounded popular individual...it is always nice to be wanted.

My breathing treatment is over so it's time to get ready for the real stuff. But, thought I'd add a little levity.

Merry Christmas!

Santa came early around here...A friend stopped by Saturday night to drop off a gift. She has told me she didn't know what to get me this year. So, a big part of her gift was quarts of homegrown canned green beans. She also gave me a quart of applesauce and a quart of tomato sauce. All of which she worked hard on canning. Talk about a thoughtful gift! We love food around here and homegrown and canned is about as good as it gets. Little to no salt and no preservatives! Yay!

We are without a Christmas tree this year. No pity please. I'm not writing this for sorrow. It wasn't planned, but time and weather kept DH from getting a live tree this year. We are OK with it. He likes a live tree, but doesn't want to get one too early because it dries out. Two weekends ago we had a big snow and this weekend it rained and rained. He went yesterday when the rain let up and the tree farm he has always gotten one had closed for the season.

So many of the folks I work with have been so ill the past couple of weeks. I had hoped I would keep from getting ill, but Friday I started getting ill. Because of my asthma and allergies everything usually settles in my lungs so I'm trying to keep on top of it with breathing treatments. But, it could be so much worse.

In the newspaper today, a person who is in charge of a homeless drop in place said they have served over 2000 unduplicated patrons. For a city around the size of 74,000, that is a lot of homeless. It certainly makes me appreciate what I have so much more.

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks. Part of it is I haven't had much to add. Part of it is I have been fighting something that apparently won. I have been under the weather and hopefully with Christmas break will begin to rest up and feel better.

I hope all of you have Merry Christmas with lots of love and joy.

Today was a bit of a spendy Sunday. Not horrible, but...

This afternoon we went to a Christmas tea at one of the major historical homes in our city. It is always nice and basically free unless you buy something or donate money. It is always pretty lovely and a good way to visit this historical home.

After that we stopped at Walgreens. A few weeks ago they had flour on sale, but had run out. DH had gotten a rain check, and we have checked off on and on, but it hadn't come in. They had it today. They also had peanut butter and tomato sauce on sale, and also some allergy medicine and there was even a $5 coupon on the allergy medicine so we did some money. I've been trying to restock my pantry has things go on sale. A few weeks ago one store had Del Monte vegetables on sale for 69 cents a can. We bought some. Then another store sold them for 50 cents a can, but there was a limit. But we stocked up and have quite a few.

After we came home I paid some bills and renewed our AARP membership.

None of this was super expensive, but it all adds up.

We had a dusting of snow this morning. It was a bit slick in spots, but fortunately nothing like other parts of the country have been having.

Last week about every meal had some sort of leftover in it. One day we had a pork stew made with leftover broth and pork. Another day we had spaghetti made with the leftover sloppy chicks. One night we had leftover mashed potatoes that I mixed with cheese and baked like a twice baked potato. And when we didn't finish that, I made potato patties and rolled them in Panko and sauted them to go with the fritatta I made with leftover vegetables and sausage. And, we finished up the turkey and gravy by mixing it with dressing for another meal. DH said he thought I got more mileage out of most of these leftovers than ever.

Hope it's a good week for everyone.