Frugal Foodie

Ever since I've been out of school for summer break, I've been trying to get some projects taken care of. Last week I cleaned the garage. I decided it was time to replace the miniblinds that came with the house when we bought it 14 years ago. For the past 14 years, I've washed and scrubbed them when I cleaned the garage, but they are so soiled, they looked bad. So, I thought I'd splurge and replace them.

I haven't purchased blinds for awhile and I can say I had sticker shock, even for the cheaper ones. I didn't want fancy ones, just basic blinds.

After visiting two home improvement places, I bought two blinds (one store didn't have the size I needed), a quart of exterior white paint, a pint of interior white paint, a brush, a furnace filter, a can of Pledge, and 4 caps for wheels for a wagon. We spent nearly $60 on this and I can say I was shocked. These are just little projects and $60 in less than 30 minutes! Ouch!

I painted the trim on the garage door and the regular door to the garage, and hung up the blinds. So, two more projects are completed. Last summer when I painted the trim, I used the paint I had bought about 12 years ago, but alas, the paint came to an end last year. I figure doing a little trim paint here and there not only freshens up the trim, it also protects the wood from the elements.

The caps are for the wagon I painted. Years ago my mom gave my husband a wagon to haul stuff around the yard. It has sat in the weather for these years and it was pretty ratty looking. I took a steel brush and tried to get the peeling paint and rust off of it and then I painted it with some paint I had purchased previously. It looks better, but it will never look showroom new...it is starting to rust out in spots, but I figure anything is better than having it look so bad.

I think I know why folks put off projects...not only because of the work, but also because of the expense. I realize this isn't a huge amount of money, but it seemed like we got so little for what we spent. But, I'm trying to look at it as an investment in our house by maintaining things.

The phone rang at 5:30 this morning. I don't know about you, but whenever it rings really early or really late, it makes us worry.

It was a prank call. I wasn't really happy about it either.

There's an older man who often misdials and leaves messages. If I answer the phone I tell him nicely he has the wrong number and he always apologizes. If he leaves a message on the machine and it sounds like he's expecting a call back, I usually call him back to tell him he got the wrong number and other person may not be returning his call. I don't believe he is misdialing on purpose. I know if it were my dad I would appreciate someone treating him with respect.

I think this other call is just a string of pranksters...a couple of months ago we got a call after midnight, it came up "private caller" and it was some gal screaming in the phone wanting to know if my husband was the baby's dad and if so, she was going into labor and he better get to the local hospital. After the annoyance of a late night call, I had to chuckle over that one...I got a lot of mileage out of teasing DH over it as well. They've called during the day and left similar messages about the baby and so on and do forth.

I am not worried about my husband having cheated so it's mostly an annoyance, but I'm not sure why folks like to make prank phone calls, especially early or late. They are sly enough to make sure the number doesn't come up on caller i.d.

Maybe I should be prepared for the next one...I have a whistle and I know how to use it!

Ever hear the slogan that talks about those who don't remember the past are going to repeat it?

I think there is some merit in this so I have been reading online and books one ways to save time and money. I ran across this book at the library: "Simple Country Wisdom" put out by Country Living. It lists 501 ways to simply your life.

It was a good read. Some of the stuff I've read before or I knew, but some were totally new. And many were ways to save some money as well as use what we have.

In another note, a friend emailed me he was going to use up some the meats and vegetables he had left over to repurpose in another meal because I have inspired him. Guess frugality is spreading!

It may seem I am driving my hubby crazy. Well, maybe crazier, depending on one's opinion.

Each meal I've been cooking, I have tried to estimate what it cost to fix it. I'm not counting the power for the stove or how much refrigeration, but the cost of the ingredients.

Sunday after church I fixed eggs, sausage, potatoes, toast. Coffee for me, and iced tea for him. I figure at the very most the meal cost $6 when you add in the oil and the butter. A similar meal at a restaurant would have probably cost $17 or more. I realize they have overhead and wages to pay. But, I figure that is $11 we saved by eating at home. All in all, the meal took less than 15 minutes to cook.

Supper the other night was a little pricier...we had sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken), chips, fruit, and iced tea. I estimated it cost between $7 to $8 total. And we had leftovers! Enough for lunch the next day so I figure that lunch if we figured in the buns and the chips cost less than $3.

Tonight's supper was a little more expensive than yesterday's lunch -- we had spaghetti (bought on sale), ground turkey, homemade marinara sauce, biscuits (homemade with homegrown herbs), a salad (homegrown lettuce), cottage cheese, and fruit. I think our meal cost around $8. And, we have enough leftover of the spaghetti and biscuits for a lunch.

Sometimes I feel like I spend a ton of money at the store, but then I realize a lot of times, I'm buying stuff to stock the pantry. I try to get pasta on sale and I have been putting it on glass sealed containers or putting it in the freezer. We hit two stores last weekend and in total we spent less than $90. Only one meal we've had didn't include meat that we bought the on this weekend trip.

DH has a very small area for a garden -- our backyard is almost all shade -- so he had herbs in pots and he has planted bell pepper plants among his other fauna in the yard. He has 3 tomato plants, lettuce, radishes, and basil planted in the small garden like area. Someone asked him why he was doing this and he said because it helps me out when I cook and he enjoys eating like a king!

A gal I know was kidding me about the cooking -- she says it is too hard to cook at home and eating out isn't that expensive. I wonder if she could eat as cheaply as we do...we certainly aren't going hungry and I figure a little time in the kitchen means money saved for other things.

Another person we know said brewing tea for iced tea took too much work. During the winter I get the electric kettle out and make iced tea in glass pitchers using tea bags. I let it cool down before I put it in the fridge. This summer I've made "sun tea" as well as brewed it. Somehow putting a few tea bags in some water doesn't seem that hard and I know what is going into the tea...no artificial sweeteners.

One friend has complained how short of money he is...they eat out every single day...sometimes twice. I'm not against eating out -- it is a nice treat -- but when I look at how much it costs, cooking seems a bit more reasonable.

Something I have been reading up on is saving money reusing things. I wondered about those plastic tags that come on bread wrappers and produce bags. I ran across this site:

http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2010/06/10-re-uses-for-those-little-bread-tags.html

I wonder if they really hold th socks together. It is worth a try, anyway.

I also noticed using one of the bags that produce come in to make a scrubber by putting a sponge inside.

We hit Aldi today and bought lemons and I have both a plastic tag and bag.

I just hate throwing stuff away that can be used from something.

What a month! I wish I could say it was expensive because we went out and bought luxurious items. Nope.

Because the end of the school is near, it seems this is the time we were hit up for retirements, weddings, graduation, and the like.

My job is different than most because I am not assigned to one building, but am "housed" in one place, but actually work in three others. We had people retire from each building and we were asked to chip in for gifts. My partner and I tried to explain to folks collecting money that buying gifts for four buildings was really getting expensive. We stuck to our guns, but got some dirty looks. I’m not saying we didn’t give anything, but one building wanted $25 each!

Then we had a couple gals at one building get married and we were hit up for shower gifts. I know I'm going to sound like Scrooge here, but I am beginning to think there was something really right about etiquette stating you get the showers on the first marriage...these gals have been married before and have households.

All in all, it was a pretty expensive month.

I think I counteracted a lot of it because we ate at home most of the time. Today was the last day of school and I had some paperwork that needed to be completed before I could start on vacation. I got to work early and did get it completed. I was so very tired when I got home, but nevertheless, made supper. It was baked spaghetti with leftover meat sauce and a salad and leftover green beans as well as cornbread. It really didn't take that much work or time, but I figured we saved money and I didn't have to venture out.

Hopefully we can get things back on track money wise.

As many of you know, I'm in education. My DH has been retired and is volunteering. In fact, he volunteers 5 days a week at 4 different schools.

Earlier this year he set up a time to work with two teachers at the same school. One decided the morning time wasn't working for her, so he agreed to come back in the afternoon which means he visits the school twice in one day to accomodate her. A lot of times he would stand in the hall waiting to come in so she could finish whatever she was doing...for the last few weeks he was waiting out there 15 minutes or more...I guess what is the most bothersome is the fact he shows up on time each and every week. Yet, she never seemed to be ready for him to come in.

Today he got to the school and signed in and went to the classrooms. Both were empty. He walked around thinking maybe they went to the restroom or the gym. No sign of these students or teachers. One of the teaching assistants saw him and said she thought the classes were on a field trip.

In our district you have to request a bus weeks in advance so this wasn't a spur of the moment thing. Yet neither of these two teachers could mention to him they wouldn't be at school on Monday or email me that they were going on a field trip.

He has felt that his time was not well spent going to these classes.

I just can't imagine treating a volunteer like this. Maybe I'm of an age where one appreciates it when folks give time and try to make sure they knew I was grateful.

Perhaps this is a reason people are hesitant to volunteer.

Fake? Really? How can a Farmer's Market be fake?
 
A few years ago we were at a local farmer's market. As I perused the green beans, the person at that table brought out a box to replenish the supply. The box looked strangely familiar -- very familiar in fact. It appeared to be the same box that our local grocery uses when stocking their vegetable bins.
 
I stepped back and watched. Other boxes were pulled out with other things like bell peppers, zucchini, etc. All seemed to be the same shape, same size. And the boxes -- all the same. The materials to divide seemed like the ones from the store.
 
I thought to myself -- this guy is a fake. He's purchased this stuff and is implying he grew it and selling it as his own. And he was charging far higher prices than the local supermarket.
 
Humbug.
 
Apparently it's not just happening in our little city, but other places as well. I read an article about these being scams.
 
Fortunately our local community college also hosts a farmer's market and I do think most of the folks who set up are bringing stuff they raised themselves.
 
Frankly, fake is frightening not to mention being a rip off when it comes to farmer's markets.
 
Debbie's blog: http://frugalfoodie.savingadvice.com/

All my life I have struggled with weight problems and self esteem. Recently I attended a workshop and this nice looking guy was very polite and kind to me.

Don't get me wrong, I am not looking for man -- I am happily married. But after this encounter, I questioned why this person seemed interested. I usually stay in the background because I don't like being in the limelight. And it is often better to be unnoticed because I don't want to be made fun of.

So, I have wondered why anyone would treat me so nicely when I am certainly not beautiful. And then it makes me feel even worse about myself.

DH and I have discussed how society has ingrained in us how beauty is so important. It seems we are judged so much on how we look.

Those shows where the little girls are dolled up to look far more mature kind of worry me because will this make these children struggle with their self esteem?

We ate breakfast with my brother and his wife and the topic came up where a former boss hired a good looking gal who had no skills simply because she was eye candy. This was a few years ago.

Some of the articles I've seen state that good looking people are more successful because people respond to them more favorably. Perhaps that is true in many cases.

Hopefully as I meet people today, I will look beyond appearances and accept them as they are. And maybe, just maybe, I'll accept myself as well.

It is darn warm outside here in Central Illinois. It feels like July instead of May. Yesterday was warm too. I know the farmers are probably delighted because some of them have corn coming up and we did finally receive some rain earlier in the week and the corn popping up will enjoy the hot sun.

DH pulled some radishes, green onions, and picked some lettuce yesterday for our supper last night. It was so nice to have fresh stuff. He hasn't put in tomatoes yet because he normally waits until Mother's Day weekend to plant...our weather pattern has been so weird with the atypical warmer weather, but he was afraid of frost. My brother planted his tomatoes a few weeks ago and is bragging about how great they look...one never knows.

Our herbs in pots from last year are all looking pretty good since they didn't die off. The thyme looks like it might be knocking on the door pretty soon since it is growing so fast.

Looking forward to a bountiful garden this year...and hopefully saving a few bucks besides. We figure the herbs not dying saved us some money.

Interesting magazine in the mailbox this week...with my name on the subscription address...

It was American Baby. Looks like a nice enough magazine, but I don't have any children, and at my age, I am not planning on having any. It was really bizarre receiving that magazine.

I haven't signed up for any free offers or anything so I have no idea why it appeared. I don't purchase magazine subscriptions because I borrow magazines from the library so it couldn't be a mix up.

I passed it along to a coworker who has a daughter expected...

I do wonder if I should be "expecting" this publication next month!

Most of my friends have phones that do about everything. Until about 3 months ago, my phone was pretty ratty looking and I had to charge it about every night. It wasn't because it was one of those phones with everything, the phone was just about done for. I looked into battery replacement and concluded it was cheaper to get a new phone.

Have you been phone shopping lately? All the different things and how disappointed the sales person was when I said my cell was for making and receiving phone calls. Period. Tried to sell me a memory card for photos and this and that. I need this for a data plan. He wasn't a happy camper when I said I don't need a fancy plan...I don't text, don't send photos, and didn't plan on accessing the 'net.

Many of my friends were shocked. No texting? Really?

I explained that our phone plan is bare bones and I wasn't going to get a more expensive plan to text. DH wouldn't text nor would my brother so I cannot see the extra expense. Apparently my friends think I am nothing short of weird.


Being pragmatic, I can't see spending more for something that I am not interested in using. It's just one more expense and I would prefer to not spend money that way.

So, no smart phone for me...guess my phone is kind of dumb and I use it as a phone...make and receive calls...kind of unheard of, isn't it?

OK, maybe ghastly is a bit strong. But, they were sad.

Each spring our subdivision does sales on a Friday and Saturday in April. DH got up early, showered, and hit them early with a list of things we were looking for as well as a list of things a friend was looking for.

He came home empty handed. He said the pickin's were slim.

I wonder if the economy is showing it's hoary head.

I suggested this to DH -- perhaps folks don't have the money to buy new stuff, so they aren't letting go of anything we are interested in, just trying to sell those things that aren't necessary.

I know the local thrift shops are booming around here. I certainly hope things start looking up for the families in my community as well as the rest of the country. Not because I feel the desire for better garage sales, but it's difficult for so many families to keep their heads above water.

We had training today for Common Core reading. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is national standards for reading that most of the U.S. has adopted. Teachers normally do not get more than 30 minutes for lunch, so on training days, we often are allowed an hour.

I packed my lunch this morning -- a few leftovers and some fruit. My partner did the same. We were the only two left in the room as the mass exodus left to go purchase lunch.

I looked around when they came back. Many have complained how their money just doesn't go as far as it did or they have huge expenses...yet they thought nothing of going out for lunch.

When they came this morning, many brought their breakfast they had picked up or soda or coffee purchased. My old checkered Thermos almost seems out of place. One person was telling me what a deal it was for the soda they bought this morning on the way as I drank my home brewed coffee and then my Thermos of water after lunch.

It's a treat to go out -- I realize that, but tomorrow when we return, I bet many will treat themselves again to a hurried lunch and a thinner pocketbook.

I hit the library again and saw a cookbook with cooking with olive oil. It is a type of flatbread and I think one could serve it in place of cornbread. Other than the carbs, it appears to be pretty healthy:

Oatmeal honey bread



1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil



Preheat oven to 400. Coat a 9 inch round or square baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl add the wet and whick. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir just until moistened.

Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan.



Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Can be served warm or cooled entirely.


We will be eating it with a few meals this week...fairly economical as far as bread goes too.

There was a letter in an advice column this week where the writer said they had invited neighbors over for dinner multiple times, but it was never reciprocated, although these same people invite others over. The writer asked when was it OK to stop or something to that effect and how to maintain the friendship.

Good question. We have a couple we have had over multiple times. She is a self professed "great cook" -- her words, not mine, and she has invited other folks over to their home for meals and then tells us about it. She goes into detail about all the things she did to make their meal enjoyable and how pleased their guests were.

When we have invited them over, the dinner conversation usually consists of the "great cook" telling me how she makes the same dish or similar dish and implying how much better it is.

I am thinking she is just plain rude. I'm not claiming to be a gourmet by any means, but unless something can cause an allergic reaction, I would think one would hold one's tongue. Guess I have been wrong about this all these years.

So, when does one decide to stop inviting someone over?

Friday night we watched the program on the new HGVT Green House. We enjoy seeing the new products out there and how people are trying to help the planet.

I had to chuckle when they kept acting so very self-righteous about reusing furniture and materials and shopping and flea markets and antique shops. They acted almost like it was their very own original idea!

Most folks who have to watch their pennies and even those who don't, but want to, reuse and repurpose things. When I look at my kitchen, so much of the stuff in it was bought used. Or, I inherited it from my grandmother.

We often go to antique shops. I not only like the idea of saving a little money, but the idea of buying something that was probably made in America so many years ago. I'm a little tired of all the cheaply made stuff from overseas.

It was just interesting how the commentators were singing the praises of repurposing things and how glorious it was like it was their very original idea. I think most of us reuse and repurpose if at all possible.

There's a little email making the rounds about an older lady going to the store and the cashier says something about your generation not understanding about going green because she hadn't brought her own bags. It was then pointed out how people used to buy soda in glass bottles and return them to be reused. I was thinking about all the canning that used to go on and people used and reused those canning jars for years!

I know HGTV has to sensationalize to keep the viewer interested, but some of us have been "green" in a lot of areas far longer than the network has been around.

I need to go and heat up the sloppy joes in my second hand pot and serve on my second hand plates. Just thought I'd give a few of my thoughts when it came to being green.

We had ham for supper. We originally had ham for Easter dinner. Then again for supper Sunday night. I had some for lunch on Monday as well as ham and eggs Monday. We ate it again tonight. Hubby had some for lunch too this week. I think we got our money's worth out of that $15 ham. Three meals Sunday noon; three meals Sunday supper. (We had a guest Sunday and then sent her home with some for her supper.) Supper Monday, lunch Monday, DH's lunch Tuesday, and then tonight...let's see 12 individual servings on one ham! I can honestly say I was glad to see the end of it for now, but I feel like we did pretty well...and it was economical.

Today is Easter and around my home, my hubby really likes a traditional Easter dinner at noon...ham, scalloped potatoes, cornbread, green beans, and deviled eggs. Anyway, that's what he considers traditional.

Each year for each holiday we extend an invitation to a former neighbor or ours. Sometimes she accepts. This Easter, she accepted. In addition to the above, I also fixed honey glazed carrots, peas, and a white cake with white icing since that is her favorite cake and her birthday was Thursday.

The table is set, the food is out, and I suggest I dip up the potatoes since I just got the pan out of the oven and didn't want anyone to burn themselves. She laughed and said that was OK and then said, "I really came for the cornbread." We laughed and then she was afraid she hurt my feelings. I told her no, it was taken as a compliment and she could have as much as she wanted.

The cornbread is baked in a skillet and it is Paula Deen's corny cornbread recipe, except I use less sour cream and more creamed corn. Why? Because her recipe calls for one of those expensive little cans of corn and I buy the corn on sale so I use what is on hand.

We had a nice dinner and we sent some leftovers, including cornbread home with her for her supper.

As a cook, having someone compliment on something is never taken as an insult.

What is a traditional Easter dinner for you?

Our weather has been weird! Living in the Midwest we didn't really have much of a winter...unseasonably warm! Then, the past few weeks it has been in the 70s and 80s and flowers are popping out, trees are blooming, grass is growing...DH has mowed twice already!

Normally one doesn't think about a hearty soup in this kind of weather, but fortunately DH likes soup year round. I had a meeting after school last night and wanted to get something fixed that we could have ready when I got home. I tried this new soup recipe and hubby took one bite and informed me it was a keeper!

Hearty Tomato Pasta Soup

1 lb bulk Italian sausage
6 cups beef broth
1 can stewed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped in small pieces
3/4 cup of pasta of your choice

I browned the sausage with the chopped onion. I sauted the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil. I then added the sausage to the vegetables then everything else and let it simmer for about an hour and a half. I added the pasta the last half hour and it cooked. It was whole wheat pasta so I figured I could add it that early. I think you could wait and add the other pasta later. I refrigerated it over night and heated it up when we got home. With crackers it was a very, very heart meal!

By fixing it ahead, it meant we weren't tempted to go out and there is enough left over for lunch!

A couple of weeks ago when I was on spring break, I checked a out bunch of cookbooks and cooking magazines.

So, each evening as we watched T.V., I would peruse these periodicals and tomes. I found some interesting recipes. The following is for a bread that isn't really sweet, but still kind of yummy.

Savory Sweet Potato Bread

1 1/2 cups uncooked shredded sweet potato (about 1/2 potato)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons minced onion
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sesame seed

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking loaf pan. Mix all ingredients but sesame seed. Put in loaf pan and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

10 servings and 31 g of carbs per serving

I made a loaf last week after attending a meeting that kind of upset me. There is something about baking something and having it come out that gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

The first time I made it, the batter seemed dry and I added and egg and that seemed to take care of it. I think although the eggs were supposed to be large, they must have been on the small side.

Anyway, it's kind of nice recipe and I feel that it sort of is healthy with the sweet potato and the whole grain flour. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

OK, didn't mean to be sexist, but if I added "and guy's" it would make the title kind of cumbersome. Not trying to hurt any one's feelings.

I use mine quite often. Last night I put a whole chicken with some herbs and vegetables and water...woke up to a house smelling wonderful. It wasn't a huge chicken, but there is enough meat for two casseroles and chicken salad, and I froze some of the extra broth.

I've made vegetable soup in the past two weeks, and I tried a new pork chop and potato recipe last week.

I have 4 different ones, all different sizes. I just find myself blessed to have this wonderful piece of kitchen appliance world.

I believe by using a slow cooker, I've saved money. I use a lot of casseroles and by cooking chicken ahead instead of buying a rotissere chicken I've saved money. Plus, I control what goes on and in the cooker. I keep broth frozen and that's handy for many meals tool. Healthier and cheaper than buying stuff from the store.

I get excited when I see recipes for the slow cooker that I think I'd like to try.

Don't tell anyone, but I gave a little hug to the cooker when I put it away today after washing it.

My husband hasn't met a potato he doesn't like!

For years he said he didn't like sweet potatoes, but a couple of years ago he asked me for a bite of mine and decided they were A-OK. So, I try to fix sweet potatoes frequently because I like them, but also because they are nutritious.

I am usually on the look out for potato recipes. I checked out a bunch of cookbooks from the library while I was on spring break and perused them and I found a recipe that I could hardly wait to try. I didn't say anything to DH, just served it last night and he tried a bite, asked me if it was a new recipe, and said if it was, it was a keeper. It has both sweet potatoes and white potatoes in it. So, it was a hit with hubby.

I think when I fix it again, I will add some milk because it was a little dry near the bottom, but it had a good flavor.

Two Potato Gratin

1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 lbs baking potatoes (about 3 medium)
12 oz sweet potato (about 1 medium)
5 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 c half and half
2 t cornstarch
1 T butter
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400

In oil, cook onion wedges until tender. Peel potatoes and cut in 1/8 inch rounds. Arrange half potatoes and onions in shallow 2 quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Potatoes should be in a single layer overlappying slices. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Arrange remaining potatoes and onions, creating pattern if desired.

In 2 quart sauce pan whisk half and half into cornstarch to dissolve. Add butter. Heat on medium high until bubbles begint o form. Pour over potato mixture. Cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle reaming Gruyere and bake 25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

I would think this could be changed up by using different onions (Vidalia or green onions) and cheeses. I wasn't sure how it would taste with the sweet potato, but it was more savory in this recipe and quite scrumptious.

Hubby has yet another way to enjoy the potato.

Last night's supper totally blew the budget!

Actually, it wasn't totally unplanned. We were at the meat market and the steaks looked so good. So, we bought two so I could grill them. I realize if we had gone out to eat, the cost would have probably been triple. Yet, I sort of felt naughty.

I have been on spring break and we have had th opportunity to get put and about. We went antiquing on Monday. I put beef and barley vegetable soup on the slow cooker so we would have supper waiting for us when we got home. On Wednesday we drove to Iowa to see the American Pickers' Antique Archeology as well as look at antique shops and when we got home, I heated up the leftover soup and used the last of the meatloaf we had Saturday for sandwiches.

I usually try to figure out what a meal costs to see if we saved money. The steaks weren't exactly cheap. But, they were good and a treat.

Tonight it is back to common food..sloppy Toms -- like sloppy joes made with ground turkey breast. One pound with onion, bell pepper, mushrooms makes two meals. Guess that will help the budget!

Givers and takers...we seem to fit one category or another, don't we? Sometimes both, but usually one is a better fit.

One gal I know lets me be both. I save our plastic containers such as cottage cheese and wash them and save them for her. She runs a small restaurant and uses them to take home leftovers for herself, her mom, and her daughter-in-law since they cannot service the stuff the next day. She said she loves having all these different sizes and she doesn't have to worry about remembering to bring back the good ones they used to use as she dashes out of the house early each morning. She said she's now using them at home to plant seeds for plants. She, in turn, has been saving me the box top things that schools use to send in for funds. I donate them to my schools and help them. So, we are both givers and takers.

Another person I know is a better taker. I save things like coupons and newspapers and give them to this person. I think they are appreciated. I usually don't mind saving these items.

I'm not a good taker. I guess I think I need to always be a giver and it is difficult to be on the receiving end. I guess we are what we are.


Otherwise, it was a nice day to be off. Our school district has designated this week as spring break. DH and I visited a friend and dropped off a birthday cake and a present and then voted, ran an errand and came home. He cleaned the siding outside and I worked on cleaning a room.

Supper was spaghetti with meat sauce made from ground chicken. I've been trying to figure out what we spent on suppers. I think tonight's was less than $7 for the spaghetti and sauce, homemade bread, salad, cottage cheese, and fruit. Last night we had beef and barley vegetable soup made in the slow cooker. It was about $7 and we have enough leftover for another meal. Sunday night I made a bruschetta with the homemade bread for a light Sunday supper. I think that meal cost less than $3. Not too bad for 3 suppers...guess I'll take that!

I haven't blogged this week due to being very tired. We started state testing last week and I spent three days of this week doing make up tests. It seems that at one of my schools, we had something that went around because there were many, many students who missed two or more of the tests.

In Illinois, it behooves a school to get all these tests made up. So, Monday I spent the day between two schools, and Tuesday and Wednesday I was at just one school because of so many make ups. One student had 8 tests to do, and of course, one cannot do all those in a day. He came Wednesday and we got a few of them completed, but the principal was going to have to finish on Thursday and Friday.

I was allowed to attend the Illinois Reading Conference in Springfield Thursday and Friday. It reaffirmed my love affair with reading and writing.

Many of the sessions are on Common Core Standards since Illinois has adopted them and they take effect 2014.

I attended sessions on writing and the Common Core and ideas on how to make writing more interesting.

Jack Gantos is an author who shared his outline on writing picture books. His first step was to have kids read lots of picture books to see how they are created and then come up with a character, setting, problem, resolution, and emotion. If you are familiar with Rotten Ralph, he's the author.

I look forward to sharing these ideas and hopefully getting students a little more interested in writing.

I can say I was very tired when we got home last night. I was glad to be able to relax. And I'm glad I get to write about my experiences.

This week has been stressful as we do state testing in our schools. We have had a lot of students absent so it is imperative to do make up tests. And that isn't easy when you realize one has to read the directions verbatim as well as allow the time allotted for each child on each test.

I slept in this morning and that was nice. We went to brunch and then to the library. I walked out with a large pile of books and 5 magazines. We then drove to a small community for a home and garden show. The community is well known for the Amish who live there.

The furniture and cabinetry displayed by these craftsman was gorgeous. It was exciting to see their beautiful works of art. We admired their wares and looked at many of the other things they had.

A mile or so out in the country is a bulk store run by the Amish. We stopped and bought some cheese, brown rice, grits, and some hard wheat flour. I spent less than $20 altogether on these items.

We drove back into town and parked and went through a couple of the shops. One is an antique shop. It was fun looking through all the items. This one seems to have the largest display of kerosene lamps (new and used) that I have ever seen. One had the base that looked like a vase with handles on both sides and grapes that were in 3D relief. Neither DH or I have ever seen one like that. After poking through we bought nothing, but had a nice time. We walked down another block and saw a drugstore with an old fashioned soda fountain.

The soda fountain is made of marble. We each had an ice cream cone and sat at one of the tables and admired the pop bottle collection along the walls above the shelves. These were mostly older bottles and some were unique.

We arrived home and I baked a loaf of bread that I had mixed together and made chicken parmigiana. I can say I'm tired and dreading moving the clocks forward for daylight savings time, but I had a wonderful day with my wonderful hubby.

Sometimes I think I grew up pretty naive.

I certainly didn't have the "Leave It to Beaver" family. I was fortunate to attend a parochial elementary school only because at that time, there was no tuition charged.

In my mind, I just thought everyone grew up like me.

I remember in 8th grade we had an art and talent show. Anyone could exhibit anything.

I liked to draw and paint and I thought I would use a hymn verse and illustrate it.

I worked hours on it. And in my innocent way, I was very proud of it. I took it to school to have it on display that evening.

We went to the show after school. As we walked around and looked at all the other items on exhibit, I realized then I was really different.

Most of the craft items were made from kits and looked very, well shall we say, professional. At least as professional as a grade school item can look. They all looked very, very nice. The raw materials were new when they started, store bought, and everything looked very "perfect."

Over to the side, almost hidden, was my painting with the hand printed hymn verse. You see, when I wanted to do the painting, I didn't know what to paint on so my dad suggested I paint on a piece of cardboard. He cut out a piece of cardboard and that is what I painted on. We didn't have a frame or anything for it. If you looked on the back, you could see what product the box came from.

It looked pretty sad compared to all these other exhibits.

It was then I realized we were poor. We used what we had because there simply wasn't the money to go buy extra things like canvas or special drawing and painting supplies. I thought everyone but the very rich did the same. And I didn't think I knew rich people before this.

I had used the paints we had at home and they were left over from when my folks had painted used bicycles that my dad had fixed from old parts and sold. The painting was glossy. And then I saw it as gaudy and ugly.

I started looking at what others were wearing and then seeing the faded clothes I had on. It never bothered me before, but then I realized I didn't look like others or live like others. And I could then tell by where my project was and how it was treated, it was shameful to be poor.

I hope I never have or never will treat another person or their creations like that because I remember my heart aching at that moment and my face flushing with shame.

Of course nothing was said to me, but I knew then I was different.

A few years back, a friend of mine and I talked about when we realized we were poor. I remember she said it was when she was in high school. And she remembers how it made her feel.

Although our blogs and this site are about saving money, I hope we never think it is shameful to be poor or treat someone less because of it. Somehow, after reading many of the blogs and posts, I don't think that is the case. I just hope fewer children have to feel as badly as I did that spring in eighth grade.

It's been an interesting month or so. Each weekend after the grocery shopping and menu planning, I spend a few hours cooking things that I can reheat or bake or whatever so there is something waiting in the fridge when I get home. Therefore, I have no excuse to not cook and eat out.

I try to hit sales and either stock up on stuff or buy what is on special many times so our meals are reasonable.

Some of the folks I work with ask me what I've fixed or what I'm planning. A few times previously this year I've shared some of the stuff I've made with my coworker. She and her hubby seemed to appreciate it.

Well, she started looking at the grocery ads, planning her list, and cooking on the weekend. She told me today that she thinks they have really saved money by planning their menu as well as cooking things ahead of time.

A personal benefit is we have been exchanging casseroles the past few weeks. So, we not only are getting to try different recipes, we have a bigger assortment of foods available.

I think that is saving money for both of us besides letting us try new things.

There's an antique mall around us we happened upon about a year ago. A local guy decided to start it and has his own things besides some consignment items.

A few years ago I decided to get rid of the plastic in my kitchen and started replacing it with Pyrex, Corningware, Fire King, etc.

I bought a few items here and there, but I really hit the jackpot with this place.

DH loves going in and poking around too. I found a Paula Deen cast iron Dutch oven for $10 a couple months back. I bought 4 Christmas glasses (Anchor Hocking) for $3. I love enameled cast iron so the Dutch oven was a find. I have a huge one and a small one so this one was a jewel. It isn't my favorite color, but I'm cooking with it, not decorating with it. The glasses were cute and we've used them a lot.

Well today we went and I found some cloth napkins. I have been using cloth napkins for about 4 or 5 years. I read this was a way to cut back on costs and trash. We had a good time looking at stuff. The guy who runs this place must not only have the Pyrex and Corningware market cornered, but also costume jewelry. I had a good time trying on some of the big honking diamond rings and when I say "big", I'm talking golf ball size.

We spent $5 on the 8 napkins. I think we got more than $5 worth of pleasure just poking around. But, I pointed out to DH, this place is lethal because if I weren't so cheap, I could overspend very easily there.