Frugal Foodie

Today was a strange day. I had a meeting and not to bore you, let's just say I felt like I was ganged up on by some of the folks who are my peers because I do things differently than they. Basically, it was I needed to do things in the same manner. And in my humble opinion, I'm not sure they are doing accomplishing a whole lot. My boss did validate me and told me to keep doing what I was doing. As I sat in the meeting drinking my coffee from home, I noticed all those who brought stuff from fast food places. After our meeting, some were going to stop and buy lunch. Hmmm. These are the same folks who complain they don't have money before the next payday.

Supper was basically cleaning out the fridge frittata. I had leftover sausage patties, some leftover goat cheese, a lone small zucchini, part of a bell pepper, and a small onion. I sauted all (but the cheese) this together, then beat 4 eggs with a cup of Half and Half, cooked the egg and milk mixture with the vegetables, and then added the goat cheese and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. DH made toast, we had sliced tomatoes and called it a meal. DH loves eggs and I love using up stuff, so we were both happy.

A friend of mine at work said she was going home to water her plants and fix dinner. She commented she was very happy to be doing that and queried whether this was strange because she had no desire to do anything like shop or go out. I told her I thought it showed a person who found satisfaction in her life. What do you think?

It's pretty darn hot here in the Midwest. And cooking isn't something I want to do a lot of, not to mention eating big meals.

But, I don't want to go out every night or eat cold cuts.

Ah, the quandry. We had pork roast the other night. Not a huge amount left, but I absolutely hate wasting good food.

So, supper tonight was onion, bell pepper, mushrooms sauted with the pork that was cut into small chunks, made a sauce with a little butter and flour and broth, and put it on bowtie pasta. Since neither of us were super hungry, there is enough for two lunches.

DH planted tomatoes and he kept telling me he didn't understand why this one plant had huge tomatoes, but they never seemed to ripen. Seems they are some other type of tomato...kind of yellowish with red streaks. We studied them and said I thought they were a different kind so we picked them, washed, them and sliced them. Inside they have a splash of red in the middle with the yellow outside. They tasted just like a red tomato. What a nice surprise!

Hope if you are in the hot temps you are staying cool!

I have not had a chance to post the past couple of weeks. School started and between school hours and trying to get things done in the evening for school, and errands and cleaning on the weekends, I haven't had the opportunity.

This is not a gripe or rant. Just had something happen locally and reminded me of my priorities.

Saturday a local well known and loved pastor was killed in an accident. He was on his motorcycle and the other vehicle was a car.

It certainly is reminded me of what is truly important. Give your loved ones an extra hug tonight!

The weather has been so good for DH's garden! We have been so fortunate to have lots of cherry tomatoes and a few larger tomatoes, and so far, two bell peppers! We have had green onions and earlier we had lettuce and radishes. Plus, we have herbs! I've been using lots of herbs in breads, and in cooking. Tonight, we are having rosemary potatoes. I baked a pan of focciatta bread yesterday using basil, rosemary, and oregano.

DH has a small space so the garden is kind of limited, but we feel so blessed in having as much as we have.

I asked DH if we could grow peppermint because I like trying different teas. He has and I've been brewing peppermint tea with a green tea bag. I have been doing this in Mason jars and then putting them in the fridge for a refreshing iced tea. The other day I took a jar with me to a workshop so I could enjoy it after lunch. The kidding I got...sheesh! One person said it looked like urine and another asked if I was drinking moonshine. I gave each of them a taste in a paper cup and they immediately were amazed that someone could brew tea like that with homegrown peppermint. We have become a society far removed from homegrown it seems.

A friend has shared green beans and we have had quite a few meals from the "mess" she shared. Another friend gave us squash and zucchini that someone gave her since her husband refuses to order. I immediately made roasted squash one night. Tonight we are having roasted zucchini with onions and bell pepper. It sure smells good!

Other than some chicken and a few potatoes, most of supper was from the garden, either ours or someone else's. Yum!

There was a story on the news the other day that people using Facebook may often find dissatisfaction with their lives.

Basically, the story said people see photos of others having fun, feel like they are missing out on life, and depression comes about.

I think there's a lot of truth to that. Maybe not full blown depression, but people feel like they aren't getting enough of what everyone else is getting.

I'm not saying people need to stop posting their vacation photos and family celebrations, but we need to stop and remember that a photograph is usually taken for one of two reasons. One is to help us remember something and two, to show someone else what we did. It is a snapshot in time.

I've been to some cool places and I've guilty of those vacation shots. But, my life isn't one big vacation, that's for sure.

But, I think human nature makes us feel like we are missing out on stuff.

One of my Facebook folks is constantly posting photos of her dream homes. Over and over, she makes comments about how she wishes she had this and that. The realistic side of me wants to say, "Get away from the computer and make your house more of what you like."

I guess that would be cruel, eh?

Last night had a couple for to join us for supper. It was a simple meal. The best part of it was the fellowship. I didn't have super fancy dishes or wine glasses and no flowers or big candlelabras. But I think we all had a nice time visiting.

And I realize how very blessed I am.

We've been busy the past week or so. Between doing major deep house cleaning, and running errands, it seems like life has been a whirlwind. School begins here August 12 for teachers, but I have a day of training next week, then a full week of training the following week, so I'm rushing to get everything finished. I'm also trying to think of the meals I need to be planning once I'm back at work.

We visited DH's uncle who is 93 yesterday. It is a two hour trip there and two hours back. We had a nice visit. He does well and still lives at home. Normally I take food to put in the freezer that he can heat up, but DH had procrastinated so much about when he was going to call, when he finally did call because my "free time" is running out, I didn't have anything prepared. I think it was OK because I think he just liked having the visit.

We hit two grocery stores today as well as some garage sales. As for the garage sales, there really wasn't much out there we couldn't live without. Some folks had just junk and others had a few nice things with equally nice prices. People walked in, looked around, and left without buying anything. I'm not sure how they made enough to even cover their ad. I wonder if they even thought about that.

We checked on our booth today and took some items to add to it. We took a couple of things that have been there for a long time and haven't sold, and moved things around. The lady at the checkout desk said we've sold more things than anyone else so far this month. I know we didn't make a huge profit because most of the things in the booth are pretty reasonably priced...we don't have a huge mark up. Our economy is pretty flat so folks don't have a lot to spend. But, last month we made booth rent and broke even on other expenses so I didn't think that was too bad for the first month.

We don't have major plans for the weekend. We have a couple of errands to run tomorrow and we are having friends for supper which should be a lot of fun. It is far more relaxing to enjoy meals at each other's houses then it is to go out and overspend and feel rushed.

Last night was Take Out Thursday. It was take leftovers out of the fridge type of supper. We had two kinds of meat: pork tenderloin roast and chicken breast, mashed potatoes and chicken gravy, zucchini casserole, and leftover homemade bread. I added some sliced cherry tomatoes from DH's garden and some cottage cheese. As hot as it is here, the last thing I wanted to do is heat up the kitchen and eating these leftovers is good for our budget as well as not wasting food.

For many of you on SA, you've had some very hot days. Well, Central Illinois is now having the heat and humidity! Can't say I'm thrilled, but it is summer in the midwest! DH mowed on Saturday when it was still in the 80s which helped.

The painter continues to work on our bathroom. He had to let things dry. So far we are pleased with what he has accomplished. If all goes well, he should finish today.

I put the ingredients to make oatmeal herb bread today. It is rising so I can bake it off. I have had homemade bread every week this summer. DH loves it and I can make it with more whole grains. Figure it helps with nutrition as well as the pocketbook.

I'm still working on reworking leftovers so we eat about everything. One of my friends put on Facebook that she refuses to go to the grocery store this week so they will eat up what is in the pantry and freezer. Hey, maybe this frugality is catching on!

We hired a painter.

I absolutely cringe typing this, but we did.

I don't mind painting, but this was a job for a pro.

DH uses the hall bathroom and loves hot showers. I told him he should not shut the door and not run the fan while showering, but he did. The steam from the shower was so intense that it blistered the paint and damaged the drywall as well as the ceiling. This didn't happen overnight, but after many, many showers.

There was also an area near the tub where water splashed on the wall and there was a large spot where it totally destroyed the drywall.

Hence, lots of repairs.

So, we hired a pro for the repairs and the painting.

He is working with DH on trying to figure out a solution for the water coming from the shower so we don't have another issue. I jokingly suggested we just hose off DH in the driveway. :-)

He fixed the spots and scraped the ceiling. It is taking a day to dry before he primes and paints, but what he has done looks great.

DH is not handy and he hates painting.

So, I figure fixing this bathroom is an investment to our home.

We have the money so that isn't the issue; I think I just hate spending money!

I created a recipe using what we had. Our sage is going gangbusters! DH gave it his seal of approval.




Sage roasted potatoes

3-4 potatoes scrubbed, peeled, dried, and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons of fresh sage, chopped
2 scallions, chopped, both white and green
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
9 x 14 glass baking dish
Foil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Scrub potatoes and dry. Peel and slice thinly. Put in baking dish. Chop scallions and sage, put on potatoes. Sprinkle turmeric and paprika and then drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil. Bake for an hour.

I haven't blogged much in the past week simply because I haven't had too much to say. We have worked on some chores around here and Friday and Saturday we hit some garage sales. I've cooked most meals and stretched things, but none of the recipes are anything new or exciting so nothing to share there. I made foccaicia bread last week, except I made it in glass baking dish and instead of putting the herbs on top, I mixed them in with the dough mixture. DH loved it and asked if I would make it again for this week. I think we ate it with 4 or 5 meals and since I subsituted some of the white flour with wheat, I think it was a little healthier.

July 4th has come and gone and I'm tired of the neighborhood fire crackers that have been going on for the past week. I didn't sleep well either the 3rd or the 4th because some one or ones were shooting them off late, and when I say late, I'm not talking 9 p.m. Some were still going off after midnight. This has continued for the past 3 nights.

I have decided that some of the folks that bought the most firecrackers and fireworks are probably ones who could least afford them.

In that vein, doesn't it seem like the people who can least afford it are the ones who have a zillion pets?

Doesn't it seem like the folks who can least afford it are the ones using their credit cards for rewards, bragging about what they earned, yet not paying the silly things off?

I know there are people out there who bought fireworks and are not hurting for money. Or who have pets and take good care of them without hurting their budget. I use a credit card. I buy certain things with it like groceries. I don't really use it for the rewards, although I get a paltry cash back. I use it because it is far easier at the grocery store to use the credit card than to write a check. I also use my credit card if we are buying a big ticket item in case I need some recourse. But, I pay that puppy off every month as well.

Maybe I'm just crabby from lack of sleep, but I'm a little tired of people complaining they don't have money and then buying many of these items or using their credit card.

Here it is June 30th. What happened to this month? It seemed to fly by! Yikes!

It has been a busy month for us. We started the booth at the antique mall. When we checked on Friday, we had sold 21 items. Not expensive or big money makers, but at least we made double of the booth rent. One of the ladies who works there said some folks didn't sell anything all month. So, hopefully we can continue finding things people want. One booth owner pulled out because they hadn't sold too much the whole time they were there. They had Fenton and carnival glass with huge prices. I imagine it was worth what they were asking, but in a town which unemployement higher than 10%, I don't think there are a lot of folks buying fancy dishes to put in a cabinet. Anyway, we are pleased.

Our garage door opener quit working so we bought a new battery at Walgreens last Friday. They gave us a coupon for $5 off $20, but it was only good for two days. After seeing the sale ad, they had stuff we needed on sale, so that was a good thing for us.

Grocery shopping was completed Friday and last night we had pot roast. The weather here has been cool and rainy, unlike many other places in the states. It was a good pot roast night. I have enough to make another meal or two out of the meat and vegetables. I'm thinking maybe a pot pie for one.

We went to some garage sales Friday. I found this neat, lidded jar that was apparently made for dishes sold at the Guggenheim museum. It has Frank Lloyd Wright collection on the bottom. I could only find some dishes for sale, but not the jar. I wonder if it is rare.

DH thinks we should think about Ebay, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Since he doesn't touch a computer, I don't think he realizes there is more to it than listing something. And I don't think I know enough about Ebay to actually try to sell something.

We don't have big plans for the Fourth. We did find some steaks on sale a couple of weeks ago which we put in the freezer and I will thaw and fix. So far, the lettuce has been safe from the bunny so we can have a salad if that continues. We no longer want to fight crowds and traffic to see the fireworks and it seems at our city, the last time we went to the fireworks, there is rarely parking, and so many folks have been drinking to the point they are drunk, it isn't fun.

Hope your month was a good one as well.

It's supposed to be a hot day here in Central Illinois. We have received quite a bit of rain and I imagine within a day or so, things will be drying out. Hopefully, by the weekend, it is supposed to be cooler.

I have two meals to plan today, both using leftovers. We are going to have a frittata for one meal using up some sausage and cleaning out the vegetable bin. For another meal I'm going to make spaghetti using up the leftover sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken). DH has lettuce growing and fortunately our bunny troubles seem to be in the past so I will make a salad with the lettuce and radishes, as well as some of the tomatoes we bought.

We did find some things to put in our booth yesterday. I need to wash things up...I don't understand why people do not wash things to sell, but I guess they are too busy or too lazy.

We did go to the library yesterday and I checked out some magazines and a DVD. We watched a DVD we had checked out earlier and I will enjoy the magazines...our library changed the checkout period for magazines...they used to be for two weeks, but have been cut to one. So, I always check to make sure I get them returned on time.

I will be making a meal plan for the next week so I can then make grocery lists for the two stores we frequent. I kept the Sunday ad for the one to check what is on sale. The other is Aldi and although they have a weekly ad, most of the stuff they advertise is not stuff I usually purchase.

Hope you have a fine day.

Last night we were watching Frasier reruns and this episode had Frasier hiring a butler.

This guy was amazing. He knew society, he knew manners, he could predict what Frasier, his dad, brother, and Daphne wanted and he was organized.

I want one just like him! I turned to DH and said, "Let's get a butler!" He laughed and said, "Wouldn't that be fun!" and we chuckled over that idea for a few minutes.

Of course it is all said in fun, but I can't imagine having someone wait on me like that and give me great advice and meet my needs. Not to mention the expense.

Of course, a little day dreaming and a chuckle never hurt! So, can I put down we saved money because we didn't hire a butler? :-)

It's a pretty day here in the Central Illinois. I guess there is a 50% chance of rain, but right now, it is just lovely.

DH is a good gardener and the past few years he has grown herbs. I asked him if he would be willing to try peppermint. I thought it was would be good for flavoring water and tea. He has and it is. It is a refreshing water on a warm day. Last summer I dried a lot of herbs to use during the winter and I hope to do the same. A couple of weeks ago we visited a friend and took some fresh herbs to him; he was amazed and pleased to get them because in the grocery store, they are quite pricey.

Speaking of herbs, I've been making a lot of no knead bread and changing it by using different herbs and adding either rye or whole wheat flour. It is wonderful to enjoy and far cheaper than the price of artisan breads at the store or at restaurants. I told someone that I could bake a loaf for a lot less than the $3.50 to $5 being priced and they were shocked.

While DH went for a walk, I got out some paint and did some touchups to some of the walls. It was one of those projects where you plan to do it and then it doesn't get done. The paint has been put up and the brush cleaned and the biggest hassle was getting the top off the paint can, but I finally succeeded.

It's almost time to begin fixing supper. We are having sloppy joes made with ground chicken so I call them sloppy chicks. We will get at least two meals from this mix. Fortunately DH doesn't get tired of it.

It has been a nice Sunday so far...church, brunch at home...getting some projects finished...how was your Sunday?

We checked in on our booth and we have made enough to cover the booth rent for this month and a little besides! Yay!

I have decided it is a game...what can we buy that truly interests others? DH is having to learn that just because he likes something, doesn't mean a lot of others do. I bought a couple trinkets that he questioned me on last week. I put them in the booth and they both sold over the weekend. It was luck, shot and simple, but it wasn't something I would particularly like for myself. So, it is learning to think beyond my own likes and dislikes.

We are halfway through the first month of this antique booth. We have not quite made booth rent yet, but I am hopeful. It is a learning experience...things we thought would sell immediately haven't and stuff I added for filler have sold. Go figure!

Today they are supposed to have a vintage car show in the parking lot and they are supposed to sell food with the profit helping a homeless shelter. I certainly hope we have good weather for this to bring in lots of customers. I know not everyone will buy, but I figure if we have lots of folks going through the antique mall, the better our chances are. They were supposed to have an outdoor flea market a couple of weekends ago and because of the bad weather, they cancelled it. This place isn't quite a year old so the foot traffic isn't great...I hope activities like the car show help bring in other people.

I'm going to post some photos of some of the stuff in our booth so you get an idea of the stuff we are trying to sell.






Thank you to everyone who comment on the previous post about the booth. I am taking your advice that was generously given.

Today is my 23rd wedding anniversary. DH and I married in a small ceremony in his mom's back yard and had a cake and punch reception for family and friends.

We went out to dinner and exchanged cards. It was a very nice day that we spent together.

We live in the Midwest and they are calling for strong storms this afternoon and evening. I certainly hope we do not receive them. The weather said it is likely 1 in 5 people will sustain damage. Those are not good odds.

We have been enjoying herbs, lettuce, and radishes from DH's garden. The rabbit ate most of the lettuce, but apparently the stinky stuff worked and the rabbit or rabbits decided to move on. Not only is that a good thing,the news had that some rabbits are carrying a disease harmful to both cats and humans. So, better to have no rabbits eating or spreading disease.

I think DH is really on board with eating at home as much as possible. He asked me Monday night what I planned on fixing for supper so he could determine what he would eat for lunch. Last night we had leftover turkey and I used it to make a stuffing casserole with creamed corn. Tonight we are having spaghetti made with the leftover sloppy chicks stuff we had Sunday night and for lunch. I love eating well and reasonably!

DH finally broke down and purchased something called "Invisible Fence" and sprayed it on the plants the bunny had been eating. It must take more than a day or our bunny must have had sinus issues because it was still around when he sprayed it.

Let's just say that it was aromatic and smelled very much like a mixture of a chicken and pig farm. Woowee!

Anyway, bunny had been hiding in the rose bushes so he sprayed it around there as well.

So far no more bunny since yesterday morning. He didn't want to really hurt the creature, just make it leave, so let's hope it is gone. He has gnawed down most of our lettuce and had eaten pepper plants as well as some of DH's flowers. One little rabbit sure did a lot of damage!

Pretty cheap jewelry suggested I start this...crazy ways to use up what is in the fridge so here goes...how do you use up what you have?

I often make frittatas or egg casseroles and use up vegetables, meats,and breads with eggs and milk and we often use bits and pieces of leftover cheese. If we have quite a few vegetables, I often make a stew.

What do you do?

Last night I was reading an article in Ladies Home Journal. The article was about the amount of food people waste. I'm not talking about simply throwing stuff out after it was on their plate, but buying fruits and vegetables and not using them, letting stuff in the pantry go to waste, and not using leftovers.

It was kind of shocking how much food is left uneatened. I think it is a minimum of 10 percent just for fresh fruits and vegetables. I can't imagine spending money on fresh fruit and letting it rot. Basically, it is folks buying it and instead of eating at home, eating out or buying fast food. It is sad.

My husband was kidding me tonight. Yesterday for lunch we had leftover sloppy chicks from Sunday night. For lunch today we had pulled pork sandwiches made from leftover pork we had at last night's supper. Tonight's supper was a casserole made with leftover turkey from Monday's meal. We also had mashed potatoes leftover from Monday's meal. He asked if I used everything up yet?

Saturday night I had roasted a chicken and I pulled the meat off. We had some of it for dinner and I had put some aside. A friend of ours had fallen and broken her hand and so with the leftover chicken and some broth I had made previously, I made a large dish of chicken and noodles. I had cooked potatoes with the chicken and made a few extra and mashed them to give them as well and also on Saturday, I had peeled a bunch of apples for apple juice and apple sauce. I gave them half of the apple sauce.

I hate wasting food. Not only because of the expense, but also because it is simply wasteful. Most of the time our meals with everything included run less than $10 for both of us. I believe in eating fairly healthy, so I don't think it is exorbinant. Some friends of ours eat out at least once a day and often twice a day. DH was figuring it up the other day. He said they probably spent almost $60 for those two meals. That's a lot of money for one day just to eat -- nothing special as a birthday party or going on vacation -- just eating. And these folks complain about money being tight.

DH might kid me about repurposing leftovers, but I noticed he had three helpings of the casserole tonight. Guess he liked it!

I stayed around home today and cleaned the garage. However, I did spend some money and no, I didn't order anything on-line.

The furnace and a/c guy came for the annual check so I paid for that. And, the lawn guy came and fertilized and I paid him for that.

Not very exciting stuff, and not unexpected. But, it is sad that I don't have to leave home and still spend money.

DH is ticked because we have rabbits eating his garden. Any suggestions on keeping them out of the vegetables?

I just finished a biography of Hetty Green, the richest woman in America during the Gilded Age.

I found the book at the library and I had not heard of her. DH said she was considered crazy and nasty. Half way through the book I did look her up and it seems that almost all the online sites have the same info...wonder if they got their research from the same place.

The author of this book was more kind than the stuff on the online sites.

In a nutshell, Hetty was born to a rich family, but her family said it was the family's responsibility to make more money for future generations. Hetty was considered a miser. She was considered a cheapskate. Yet, as the author pointed out, if she had been a male, she would have been considered smart. She lived in small places, ate at simple restaurants, and didn't spend big bucks on personal fashion. She raised her kids to be careful with money.

It's funny how we like to compare ourselves to people we read about. I was just thinking that although I'm not wealthy and wasn't born wealthy, I try to find ways to save money. And some of the people I work with consider me a cheapskate.

According to the author, Hetty is like Warren Buffet...the thrill isn't in having great riches, but growing those riches. Maybe that is what those of us on SA like as well.

Last night we had a chance to sample 4 radishes from DH's garden. They were delicious and we look forward to having more of them as they get ready. We had some lettuce last week as well. We had a lot of rain and horrible storms Friday night. We live in the Midwest and they are still determining whether we had a tornado go through the middle of our city -- a lot of damage. We were fortunate to only have the usual limbs, twigs, and leaves blown down and no damage to the garden.

There's the standing joke about folks trying to give away zucchini. We apparently don't know anyone who wants to give it away because we would take it. We eat a lot of it.

Last year my brother gave us some cucumbers. It was hot out so I made a cucumber soup. It wasn't too bad and since it was served cold, it was refreshing.

I found this recipe for a cucumber salad. I'm going to fix it because it sounds good.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, thinkly sliced
1 t salt
1 1/2 c (12 oz) sour cream
1/3 c thinly sliced red onion
1/4 c snipped fresh dill
2 T white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t coarsely ground pepper

Place cucmbers in a colander over a bowl; sprinkle with salt and toss. Let stand for 15 minutes. Squeeze and blot dry with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. stir in cucumbers. Refrigerate, covered, at least one hour.

Well, we did it. DH and I have discussing this for a few months and we have been buying items very reasonably and ... we put down rent for a booth in a local antique mall.

I am both excited and frightened. My folks always did something for extra money. When I was a kid they had a furniture store and when we moved they had a small antique shop. I am, by no means, an expert on anything, but I am hoping we can make some money as well as have some fun buying and selling.

Our booth is very small and therefore fairly reasonable. I have a variety of items, priced differently. DH has argued with me over this one item...it is a very large candle with a primitive beaded ring around it sitting on a glass plate. He says it is too ugly and I say for $2.00, someone might buy it just for the candle and the plate. We shall see.

We set it up this afternoon. The place is supposed to have a flea market on the grounds this weekend so hopefully it will bring in more customers. I hope we have a nice weekend for it.

Any suggestions for a successful booth?

Wish us luck!

It has been a rather wet Memorial Day weekend. It has rained quite a bit all three days. We did manage to finally get to the cemetery today and get our flowers out for our loved ones.

This is sort of a rant, but every year I say the same thing to DH: the owners of the cemetery his parents are buried in must have seen his mom coming when she purchased their plot. She bought the plot immediately after her husband's death and it is in a very nondesirable place. It is next to a drop off with a tree so it is super shady and no grass grows so it is muddy when it rains. And when it rains, the mud splashes upon the stone. With the recent rain and humidity, moss was growing on the stone. We took quite a bit of time to clean it today before putting down the flowers. It is sad that people in the funeral industry take advantage of someone in such a time of grief.

On to other things...

We made it to the library and I did get to check out some magazines. I found a couple more recipes to try. Since I was successful with the last tilapia recipe, I'm getting bold and trying another.

Spiced Tilapia

1/2 t sale
1/2 t ground chili pepper
1/2 t caynee pepper
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t garlic powder
14 t ground cumin
4 tilapia fillets

Combine dry ingredients, sprinkle over fillets. Cook fillets in a large nonstick skills coated with cooking spray over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork.

Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?

DH is pretty angry right now. The carrots he planted a couple of weeks ago were eaten by a rabbit. He had hoped to get some of them at least. He replanted them today in a pot hoping the bunny won't be jumping up there to enjoy.

After supper tonight we went to the grocery store. We actually frequent two: Aldi and County Market. DH went to Aldi yesterday with a substantial list and then I make out a list for CM to fill in for things we either couldn't get, or like better at the CM.

The last couple of weeks, Aldi's bananas have been very ripe, so we have bought them at CM. I have noticed that it seems like the bottom of the bananas have seemed bruised. I kind of wondered why two weeks in a row just the bottom ones were bruised, but I think I discovered the reason.

The cashier who my husband has gone to the past two weeks is not exactly gentle. Tonight I witnessed him pretty much manhandle our groceries. He set the bananas down pretty roughly to weigh them. So I imagine we will have ones bruised on the bottom again. He basically pitched our loaf of bread to the side. I was so appalled I didn't even say anything.

To top things off, one of the local schools had their football players bagging for groceries. I understand they need money, but can't someone give them a few tips on bagging? We use reusable bags and some are larger than others. In one of the larger ones they put three boxes of tissue and something else very thin and very light. But in one of the smaller ones, they put two half gallons of milk and a bottle of grape juice, a can of olives and a couple of other heavier things. Sheesh. Everything was a jumbled up mess.

Oh, well, I told DH we are not going into the cashier's lane again. I think part of the problem is he doesn't feel well a lot of the time so he probably doesn't care. I'm sorry about that and I don't want to cost him his job, especially in our town with a huge unemployment rate.

I found this recipe we are going to try tomorrow night:

Tilapia Rice Cakes

8 oz tilapia
1/2 cup broth
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Panko crumbs
1/2 c cooked wild rice
1/4 c chopped onion
2 T finely chopped bell pepper
2 T mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Worchestershire sauce
1 t lemon juice

oil


Rinse fish, pat dry. Pour broth into a 2 quarter baking dish. Bake at 450 4-5 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness of fish until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Drain and break into pieces.

Combine fish, egg, panko, wild rice, pepper, mayo, mustard, Worchestershire and lemon juice. Shape into 6 3/4 inch patties. Chill for 2 hours. Heat oil, cook patties until golden brown, about 10 minutes total.

Sure hope they turn out.

No, I am not blogging about myself...

Funny how things work out...I am still baking bread with a couple more classes. The library assistant said she just finished a book by Joan Bauer titled, "Close to Famous" and it is a children's novel about a girl who bakes. I just finished reading and what a clever book.

The main character is being raised by a single mom; dad was killed in Iraq. She loves to bake, but her major problem is she cannot read. She and her mom roll into a small town and you meet the townspeople who all have their own problems.

I won't tell more, but it was worth a read and the author ended it with the girl, Foster, saying she is going to make the world a better place one cupcake at a time. Truly a delicious read!

Each week I fix a fruit salad. Same fruit. During the winter it is pricey, but we pay for it anyway because we believe it has helped us stay healthier. Our fruit salad consists of grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries and sometimes I get wild and add an apple at the last minute or kiwi. Each night I slice a banana and then put the fruit salad over it. It's pretty and yummy, and we like it. That being said, this week DH found strawberries on sale so we had leftover salad. I took the remainder of it in my lunch. The ladies I eat with were amazed that we have fruit every night. Cleaning the fruit and cutting up strawberries doesn't take that long. I know folks are busy, but THAT busy?

I've blogged about the bread making and so far, the kids have loved it. I do have some left at the end of each day and I hate for it to go to waste so I offer it to staff. One lady who I know cooks quite a bit was shocked that it was a recipe and not a box mix for the bread machine. I told her those box mixes about $4 each and why spend so much when with 6 ingredients, you can make basic white bread? So, she asked for the recipe.

We hit a true thrift shop today and found some great bargains. I found two small American flags, made in America, a small Howard Miller clock with a picture frame, some linen napkins, a small blue and white candle holder, and an unused candle...total cost: $6 for all. I did not need any of this stuff, but the candle will go in my stash when I need a quick gift. The candle holder is for me...I like blue and white stuff. We will use the napkins, and the flags are going in our yard. The clock is going to go next to my chair in the family room because I take off my watch when I get home and we don't have a wall clock. It had been a gift to someone who works for a large milling company here in Decatur...there is a small (less than an inch wide) logo on it, but it looks news. Fine with me. Howard Miller is a famous clock maker so hopefully the clock will run for a long time...it had a battery in it and it was working.

About a month and a half ago a university offered an online course to any teachers in our district on financial matters and retirement. You are to sign up, agree to take the coursework, and they pay you $25 for signing up and $25 when you finish. I signed up not only for the money, but also, I hoped to learn some things. I have taken three modules and I can say I have learned a few things about vocabulary and such. Some of the things are common sense like emergency fund and savings accounts. But, it never hurts to learn new things and get paid to do it besides. I don't think many signed up. Oh, well.

It was a beautiful day here in Central Illinois. After hitting the library and the thrift shop, we went to Lowe's and bought some plants. DH has been busily planting tomato plants, bell pepper plants, and herbs. We sure hope for a good harvest!

On the news tonight part of the midsection of the country is forecasting tornadoes. Hope they don't get them and hope they don't come here either.

Hope you had a great Saturday as well.