Two trips...that's how many times we've been to the library in the past week...and in my life, that is wonderful!

Being cheap and green, I prefer borrowing magazines instead of purchasing them. We hit the jackpot the other day and actually got some of the newer ones. But, even if I'm a month or two behind, that's OK. My world doesn't end if I'm reading something that's not the most current. Plus, when I enjoy the magazines, I return them and do not have to worry about storing them or recycling them.

One of the things I like to look at is recipes. Yeah, go figure, right? So, I found one with one of my husband's favorite food groups...potatoes. It's a type of potato cake. I changed it a little to make a potato casserole because I like my potatoes creamier than the recipe called for.

Potato Casserole

3 lbs potatoes peeled, and parboiled
1/2 cup milk or cream
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp seasoning of your choice
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 lb thinly sliced salami, ham or other meat of your choice (optional)


Topping: 1/3 cup grated cheese
1 T seasoned bread crumbs
1 T melted butter

Parboil the potatoes and mash with the milk or cream. Add the beaten eggs. Add the seasoning. Grease a baking dish and add half of the potatoes. Layer the cheese (and meat) and then top with the rest of the potatoes. Spread the topping evenly.
Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes, and then 5 minutes uncovered to let topping brown a bit. Take out of oven and let it sit for a few minutes.

I think this could be a side dish if you don't add the meat, or a main dish if you do. The original recipe called for fancy cheese, but I used what I had on hand. I wasn't planning on making an extra trip to the store. We usually have potatoes, eggs, cheese, and milk around the house.

I wonder if it could be made ahead and frozen before baking...this might be something to try.

Our friends just left. We invited them over for dinner and birthday cake. Our friend's birthday is this week and we wanted to celebrate with him and his wife.

Last night we had another friend over for dinner. It's interesting that so many folks are no longer used to being asked. I think we, as a society, overall have gotten used to going out to see friends. I wonder if that is good or not.

We spent a little more than we would have if it had been just us, but in the long run, we still saved money by eating in. We really didn't do it to save money, but because I like to cook and I like to control what goes onto my dinner plate. I made meatloaf tonight and bought a pound of beef and a pound of sausage. I sauted' onions and bell peppers and added that to the meat with eggs, oatmeal, bread crumbs, sage, and oregano. I had enough meat to make two loaves, so I wrapped one and froze it for another dinner. I baked bread using the flour our friends had given us from their trip to Michigan, and baked a cake from scratch. It was a good dinner and I think the two guys liked the meat and potatoes aspect of it, although we did have green beans and fruit salad too.

Last night we had pork roast and I fixed a potato casserole and we had a salad and some of the homemade bread. We had enough roast left over to send a slice home with our friend with some of the leftover potatoes, and enough for me to shred to make pulled pork sandwiches later on.

I know the restaurant industry would probably prefer people eat out, but it was nice being able to relax and visit and not worry about staying too long or not having good service or even the noise of other diners.

Are you inviting anyone over soon?

Twenty-one years ago we took our marriage vows and today we celebrate that decision. I'm glad we did. I am married to my best friend and can't imagine my life without him.

Our wedding was not big. We had my mom and dad and godparents and his mom, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. We had a reception for family and friends. We married in his mom's back yard and the reception was at a local community center where my parents lived. My folks didn't have money for a wedding so we paid for almost everything but the cake -- two sheet cakes is what we had.

Instead of a fancy dress, I wore something I had. I bought the cups, plates, and flatware at a discount store, as well as the decorations. A friend and I decorated the room.

We used the money to put a down payment on our first house. When the bank asked us back then if we had 20%, they were surprised that we did. Our goal was to buy less of a house than we could afford, and fix it up and still do things.

Twenty one years later I think we did OK. We are still married, we have moved to another house that is paid for, and we can do things we enjoy.

Sometimes I wish I had the big church wedding because I see the ones on television and in the movies and think they are beautiful. But in the long run, I'm married and we are happy and I think a lifetime of love and security is worth far more than an album of pretty pictures and possibly debt if we had gone wild.

Guess I'm a pragmatist at heart.

It's true. I drive my husband crazy.

When I get on a cleaning spree, I go nuts. Then I usually move things around. I tell him that it makes things look different and new and that I'm saving money doing so. He nods his head and agrees, but I really think he thinks I'm nuts. Maybe so, but I like to change things around. I used to change the furniture around a lot just to give rooms different looks. Our old house was a little bigger and I could do that. Can't do that so much with this house. Plus, my husband doesn't handle it when I move the bed because he says he can't find the bathroom at night when he's disorientated. I get that.

Yesterday I took orange oil cleaner to the kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and the woodwork in the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathrooms, and hallway. I was thinking how it seemed to refresh the wood and make it look nicer since it was cleaned. Although I spent the money on the cleaner, I felt like I saved money by taking care of something we have.

When I was growing up my parents instilled in me the idea of taking care of things. For example, you don't jump up and down on the sofa because it makes it eventually wear down. You don't do the same thing to a mattress because it can wear down the springs and possibly put too much stress on the rails. You use coasters when you have a drink so you don't have water marks. All these items are free, but can keep things looking nicer. I use trivets when I have hot foods so I don't burn my countertop or table.

I think taking care of things also saves money. I asked my husband not to beat on the wooden arm of his chair because he was scratching it. He thought I was being mean. He sat in my chair and looked at the arm and said, "You don't have have knicks or scratches on it." Yep, I don't. I try to take care of my chair.

During my first year of teaching we put up a tree in the room. That tree was a sorry example of a tree, but it was what was in the basement. I crocheted ornaments for every student to put on the tree and then take home, and we made ornaments. I remember this one student telling me it was the most beautiful tree he had ever seen. I took him seriously and asked why that was. He said that years before his mom had put up a tree, but he and his brother tore it up and mom said she wasn't going to spend money on another tree. I wonder if this student got the point of that lesson!

I may drive my husband crazy, but at least I save him money!

During World War II, many people planted small gardens and called them Victory Gardens. With rationing and shortages, people wanted to show victory over the enemies, and probably victory over hunger.

My husband is a World War II buff. (He also likes the history of the Civil War and Lincoln.) His dad fought during WWII and was actually under George Patton. Bet you can guess who my husband's hero is, but that's another post. My husband's dad and my parents also almost always had a small garden of sorts during the summer. They still referred to it as a Victory Garden although the war had long been over.

Humans are creatures of habit and although we aren't fighting the Axis powers, we still call our garden a Victory Garden. Unfortunately we have to have it in the front yard because the back yard is too shady. Hubby has planted tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, lettuce, radishes, and herbs. We had our first radish about a week ago. It would have been sooner except a bunny thought my husband had planted this wonderful garden all for him and he chewed the radishes and lettuce to the ground. Hubby bought some non toxic rabbit repellent and started over. Maybe he can claim "victory" over the rabbit.

There's something exciting about having your own vegetables. I've already used some onions and lettuce as well as some herbs. I'm looking forward to a summer and fall of wonderful things.

I guess our victory will be won over high grocery prices and junk food.

How about you? Are you planting a Victory Garden?

Ah, the pantry! I have a love-hate relationship with my pantry.

I love having one, but wish it were larger. To be quite honest I have pantry envy when I see Ina Garten's walk in pantry or when we watch House Hunters and those big fancy houses have those large walk in pantries.

My pantry is pretty stocked. That's a good thing, I think. I keep pasta, beans, canned goods, sugar, crackers, and cereal on hand. I remember a few years ago a gal I worked with kind of looked down her nose at my wedding gift. She didn't cook a whole lot, but had put down many fancy dishes and pots and pans for her kitchen. I bought her the measuring cup she wanted, but then I bought her two large bags of groceries to fill her pantry. I purchased things like salt, pepper, lemon pepper, ketchup, mustard, canned soup, and crackers for the food part and then bought her a few cleaning supplies. She thanked me, but I could tell she wasn't thrilled. A friend of hers who was like a second mother told her that my gift was very generous and very practical. A couple of months later after she and new hubby started running out of items and she had to replace them, she realized that it wasn't such a bad gift after all.

When I got married over 20 years ago, none of us made a whole lot, so people did two things -- they chipped in and bought me a toaster and they filled a laundry basket with canned goods. What a terrific wedding gift! I was thrilled because I had already bought cleaning supplies for my house and I realized how expensive everything was. It also made me try things I wouldn't normally buy. What a blessing!

I know I've blogged before that my parents grew up during the depression and instilled in me the fear of running out of food. I think that's why I find it vital to keep lots of things on hand. I was reading Ina Garten's new cookbook (checked out from the library) and she said she thought a well stocked pantry made cooking easier, and I would have to agree. Not having to run out and buy a can of this or get some flour or sugar or a spice sure makes it easier to get a dish put together. Plus, I try to buy items on sale so I'm not paying full price. Just today the store I often frequent had a special on Hunts ketchup -- 69 cents a bottle. We don't use a huge amount of it, but I can store a bottle for a couple of months. I like saving money too!

I've been rolling along on this alphabet theme and I had a difficult time today choosing what I would put for "p" because I had lots of choices. I could put pasta, potatoes, pepper, popcorn, pineapple, pizza, pomegranate, peanut butter, peppermint, pretzels, pudding and peas. I am happy to say that other than the pizza and pomegranate and peas, I have all these other items in my pantry! Wouldn't Ina be proud?

I think we should find another name for "Leftovers" because I think it the term, not the stuff, that turns folks off.

My husband wouldn't think of eating a "leftover" (I don't ask why he feels that way), but if I ask him if he's like to have me make a "TV Dinner" out of it for him to heat up for lunch, he's all for it.

My lunches this week have basically been leftovers from this and that. I had tuna from some tuna salad I made a couple of days ago. Before that I had those leftover kabobs from our meal on Saturday night. I will take little bits of this and that and make a soup or stew. I've brought home vegetables I couldn't eat and put them with leftover vegetables here at home and made a lovely vegetable broth.

If you ever read books about folks growing up with little, it is amazing what they did with leftovers. If you like an inspiring little tome, try "A Nickel's Worth of Skim Milk" where the author talks about growing up in a single parent household years ago. Cooking in that household was creative because it had to be!

There are some things that are just better "left over". I think a lot of stews are tastier the second day than they were the first.

So, do you use your leftovers?

We don't eat a lot of jellies and jams at our house. I know I like it every so often with toast, and of course, if I take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, it is useful to have it around. Although, I've gotten to where I like peanut butter and honey sandwiches as well, but I digress.

I remember years ago when I was living at home and we had an apple tree and the apples weren't really good for plain eating, yet they made delightful jelly. I would wash and peel and core the apples and cook them down. Then, strain until I had juice and add the pectin and sugar and put in sterilized jars. I remember admiring the clear beautiful jelly and thinking it was a good thing. I gave quite a bit of it away for Christmas, but we ate a lot of at home.

I have great respect for those folks who can and make their own jams and jellies because it is hot and sticky work. But oh what a reward when it's in those lovely jars!

I made grape jelly too because we had some grape vines, but unfortunately they weren't seedless. But the jelly was pretty good. My dad wasn't too keen on it. He explained when he was growing up during the Depression; someone gave his mom all the grapes they pick off the arbor. So she and my dad picked the vines clean and she made jar after jar of grape jelly. Back then refrigeration was truly an ice box -- a box with metal insulation and the ice man came and sold them a big block of ice. He said there were many meals that were basically grape jelly on bread. I can see where he got tired of it.

On another aspect, it's always interesting to see the jelly and jams offered at restaurants. Most will have grape and possibly strawberry. Every so often a restaurant that specializes in breakfast will have a bigger assortment.

I haven't bought a lot of jelly or jam or even preserves. I remember I made pork chops with apricot preserves a few times and it was pretty good. I guess I need to pull out that recipe and try it again, but I will need to purchase a jar of apricot preserves -- that's probably why I haven't made it lately.

I just checked our fridge and we have one bottle of jelly -- grape. Do people buy an assortment or just stick to a favorite or what's on sale? I know we used to buy stuff that on sale for our toast when I lived at home -- had to squeeze that dollar as best we can.

So, what's in your fridge?

Broth – that glorious creation that is so easy to make, and can add so much flavor!

Around the holidays there’s a broth manufacturer that touts its product saying your holiday dishes will like it because there is no MSG in their broth.
I have news for that company – there isn’t any MSG in my homemade broth either!

I’m a big fan of making my own broth. Often I’ll cook a whole chicken with some herbs and vegetables just so I will have a rich broth to add to the chicken dishes or to freeze in containers for other uses. I use the chicken, but love the added benefit of that broth.

Ina Garten often talks about making her own broth on her show, “Barefoot Contessa” and she uses a big stock pot and simmers it for hours. I don’t have time to do that, so I use my handy dandy Crockpot for just that!

At one of our local restaurants, they serve such large portions; I often have chicken and vegetables left over. I ask for a to go box, come home, add water and whatever else I have available, and make a small Crockpot of broth. I let it cool, strain it, and put it in freezable containers and mark what it is. Then I wag it out to the freezer so it’s ready and waiting when I need some broth.

When I’m making broth, I often add some vegetables that are sort of past their prime – I hate to throw any food away. But I really like having that broth peeking out among the other items in the freezer, ready for a casserole, soup, or even to cook some fresh green beans in.

It's really pretty economical when you think about it -- if you are already going to need cooked chicken, adding some extra stuff to make a rich broth is actually saving you money and you can control what goes in it and what doesn't.

Ah, broth, how wonder art thou!

On Sundays our local paper prints a syndicated column by Steve Batie of Houseworks. Usually his columns are about home improvement projects or woodworking. I'm not very handy around the house and woodworking -- let's say I'd prefer not to increase my insurance premiums, but I enjoy his writing style and his well measured sarcastic remarks.

Today he wrote about people saving up for things. He said he thought most folks don't. I would have to agree. Saving has almost become a dirty word to many -- why save when you can have it right now???

I emailed him to thank him for his column, but also to say we are considered odd in our circle of friends -- we save money in a Christmas Club to buy presents come Christmas time. We have a vacation fund where we save up for a trip or two. Last year I used a small savings account to save up for a new stove. When we say we do these things, people look at us like we've sprouted antennae and we are aliens. Why not buy now and pay later? Or, put it on a credit card?

Other than big purchases than a house or a car, we like to save up for things. We did have money for downpayments on both, but that's another story.

Part of it has to do with the anticipation of actually buying something and truly owning it. It isn't an impulse buy and often something we regret. I really enjoy my new stove. I thought about it, researched it, looked at different stoves, and when I finally had the moolah to purchase it outright, decided I deserved the pleasure of owning it. It's mine and I use it and enjoy it. I'm not worrying about it being repossessed. I'm not doing without something else because I purchased it.

The same thing on a vacation. A friend of ours borrowed against his house so he could afford a vacation. I'm thinking to myself, let's see, you don't have the money outright for this trip, so you are going to borrow against the equity of your home to take a trip that when you get back, you will have to worry about paying the extra bills. Somehow, I would have trouble enjoying the vacation.

Granted, there are certain purchases you have to buy because of safety reasons. If I needed a new furnace and it was freezing outside with no thaw in sight, I'd say do what you need to do. But, to purchase an item that you want and then worry about having to pay for it later?

I think in very simplistic terms, the whole idea of not saving is what has gotten our economy in the mess it is in. In general, the Great Depression of the dirty thirties was brought in part by people buying things on credit where they didn't have the money to pay for it. They overextended themselves and eventually it hurt everyone. I think this last recession was a repeat (remember the slogan about those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it?) of that same story. People were buying more house than they can afford and suddenly when it came to crunch time, they couldn't make the payments. No money was being paid and suddenly lots of people were losing money. Excuse me, since when has it become a right for everyone to get exactly what they want immediately?

A friend of ours thought I was nuts when I suggested they make sure they had 20% to put down as a downpayment on their house. I received this comment that it would mean they couldn't buy or couldn't buy the size of house they wanted.

I guess I'm old fashioned -- I think that people are more responsible if they have a stake in whatever they are purchasing.

Although most of the folks on this site are committed to saving, I think we are select few. I say we need to make saving money a goal for everyone.

We did our weekly grocery run and I spent some time the last few evenings making my lists. Not sure if I checked them twice, but I am going to tell you who I think is naughty and nice!

Nice -- those companies who give you more than three weeks to redeem the coupon. I realize grocery shelf is a hot commodity, but there are times I don't need something before the coupon expires. I'm not asking for a year, but give me at least two months.

Nice -- those companies who realize that most of us don't have warehouses to store the products. There are two of us in this house and I'm the only one who eats cereal and having to buy three boxes to save a buck might be OK if I ate three boxes in a week, but I don't. I try to buy cereal when it is on sale and when I have a coupon as well as when I have storage. My pantry space is limited.

Naughty -- OK, the this is a repeat sort of, but less than four weeks of time to buy something? Come on! Some folks budget and if it isn't a necessity, they'll do without. I might be tempted to try your product if I had a little more time with the coupon, but if I already have something, I'm not throwing it out just so I can try your product.

Naughty -- buying multiples of something or the huge size of something with your coupon. I grant you that the warehouse stores have made regular stores try to compete, but I simply do not have a place to put 24 rolls of toilet paper and 10 paper towels. And many of us who buy name brand items, don't use two toothpastes in a month.

Naughty -- a coupon that you have to buy one item to get another free or marked down. I've bought a bag of potatoes and can save 50 cents if I buy something like a cheese spread. That would be great if I wanted the cheese spread, but if not, than I feel I was cheated out of saving 50 cents.


Naughty -- those chain stores who take you to a coupon site where you can print coupons, but then the local store doesn't accept Internet coupons. All or nothing, my friends. I'm not spending the time, ink, and paper only to be told that I can't use them. And I'm old enough that I don't care if the person behind me thinks I'm an old fuss budget and refuse to buy the item. In this economy, only the strong survive!

Dear coupon folks, please think about those of us who don't have a big family and we don't need multiples of things -- I really don't need three bags of party mix to save 50 cents. I have decided that if I can't save a few cents on one item, maybe I'll just do without!

It's Sunday so I usually bake some bread. I did -- I baked white bread and some banana bread.

Amazing stuff, this bread. It's not just a certain style, type, flavor, color, or size. It can be baked in pans, on stones, on trays, or even in pots. There are different things you can utilize to whip up a loaf -- all purpose flour, wheat flour, rye, rice flour, potato flour, well, you get the idea.

I blogged earlier that I went through 3 bread machines because my husband adores bread. But, he isn't alone. Panera, which used to be called St. Louis Bread company, is pretty famous for their bread. In our local Panera, there are paintings of bread.

For Christians, in the Lord's Prayer, there is, "Give us this day, our daily bread." So, bread has played an important part in every day life. Although we ask for more than bread, you get the picture -- we want to be well fed.

I remember baking bread at my former school and the teachers would come in and relive memories of who baked bread with or for them. The aroma aroused that memory.

Remember the ongoing line about if you go to jail you only get bread and water? I wonder what kind of bread? I always pictured that real soft white stuff of my childhood that you could squeeze together and make a ball. Some of the other breads might make it a good experience however. I like a hot, crusty bread. I'd prefer to eat it outside of the bars, but...

This will age me, but remember when people would ask if you had any bread and they didn't mean something to eat, but money? I guess as important is bread is to many, money is as important.

Being sort of frugal, I like baking my own bread because I can make different kinds with many of the same ingredients. It's far cheaper for me to make a loaf of bread than to buy it commercially. Plus, it's kind of fun experimenting with different breads and flours.

There are so many things you can do with bread. You can have it accompany a meal like a slice of bread with pasta. Or you can have a bread stick in olive oil. Yum, especially if it is hot and the olive oil has been flavored with garlic and rosemary. We make sandwiches with bread. And I have used bread to make egg stratas. Plus, we can have toast with our eggs or simply alone. I've used older bread to make bread crumbs for toppings. Or, I've toasted bread and cubed it for croutons for a salad. And, I've even taken some bread to feed the ducks down at the lake. I haven't even touched on the flat breads like cornbread! Not to mention sweet breads like banana and zucchini...yum!

I like different breads for different things. I enjoy the bread sticks if we are having pasta or a salad. I enjoy cornbread with ham. I like rye as well as whole wheat bread for sandwiches and toast. Pitas are delightful for gyros. French breads are great for brueschetta. Texas Toast thick stuff is delightful for French Toast. The bread world is amazing, isn't it?

Do you have a favorite bread?

There's just something aromatic about sauting garlic and onions and even celery in olive oil. So many good smells emit from the kitchen.

I sauted onions, celery, and mushrooms for the brisket and then added some garlic. My husband came into the kitchen and told me, "It sure smells good in here." I had to laugh. He doesn't care for fancy perfumes, but he sure likes the aromas of food cooking.

I know when I bake bread he likes it too. I remember last year when I baked bread at school people would open my classroom door to get a whiff and then smile. We humans like good smellin' stuff!

Somehow I don't think I'll be putting a little olive oil and garlic behind my ears, but I'm happy about making my hubby pleased. Think of the money I'm saving him in perfume by cooking and having that great smell? Am I being frugal????

So, what is your favorite aroma?

Years ago eggs were advertised as the Incredible Edible Egg. Then came the harsh warnings that eggs were bad, bad, bad for you and that they will raise one's cholesterol to skyrocketing numbers.

Well, last week, a new finding is eggs aren't quite as wicked as they were once thought. Research says that since chickens are eating better feeds, the cholesterol isn't quite so high.

For all of you brinner (breakfast + dinner) fans, I bet I just heard a hoot and a holler.

Anyway, eggs are tasty not to mention cheap. Right now one grocery store is offering "Ten for ten" which is a buck a dozen of large eggs. That's less than a dime an egg!

I like a good casserole and one with eggs always seems to be a bonus at my house. My husband loves eggs.

I have been poring through cookbooks and think I found a new recipe that I'm going to try. Well, I've already made it and have it in the fridge to bake off later this week. It's from one of those church cook books, but no one's name is on it so I can't give credit to anyone.

Hash Brown Egg Bake
1 pgk shredded hash browns
1 1/2 c. diced ham
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 pt whipping cream
1/4 c green pepper chopped
1/8 tsp garlic salt
3 T butter

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. Add beaten eggs and stir. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with butter pieces. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Sounds like a hearty meal for brinner to me!

We've been warned...Central Illinois is supposed to get freezing rain and snow in the next few days. The freezing rain scares me the most...we had the freezing rain/ice storm over 4 years ago and were without power over two days. Two cold, miserable days. I have new respect for those folks who heated with a fireplace -- I don't know how they did it.

The forecast is calling from anywhere between 10-20 inches from Monday evening to Wednesday. Then on Wednesday it is predicted we will have high wind gusts.

Thursday has equally good news...temperatures below zero and wind chills even lower.

A friend wrote as she talked about the weather..."if you were planning on doing your grocery shopping tomorrow night, you might want to do it today." Amen, sister!

I know a gal who rarely has anything in the house. She often says she has to go out to eat because she didn't have anything to bring for lunch. If she thinks of it, she'll stop at a convenience store to pick up a frozen dinner for lunch. (Can we say expensive?) Before Christmas we were supposed to have a bad storm and I suggested she hit the store before she went home and she said she didn't have time because some friends might stop by. I always wonder what she'll do if her car won't start. Snack on some tree bark? Eat a few weeds? OK, I digress....

We hit the store this weekend to pick up a few fresh things like milk and bread and a few items to replenish items I've used throughout the week. Granted, most of the stuff in my pantry would require some heating to make it taste the best, but as long as we have power, we could go quite a few days if need be.

I certainly hope the forecasters are wrong and we don't get that much snow. I am glad we have the convenience of modern heat and cooking. Those folks in log cabins and mud houses were made of stern stuff!

The state of Illinois in a lame duck session, voted a new income tax in and yesterday's paycheck was the first time they took the additional tax.

It was sizeable. Like over $50. My last paycheck had me paying $12 more in federal tax. No, I didn't get a raise. I'm not really sure why I am paying more in federal tax and everyone I talked to said their pay was different too.

I get the purpose of taxes and normally I don't complain. But, what worries me is if the state doesn't handle the new tax any better than they handled what they previously had, will I be forking over even more in a few years?

Come on government officials...you have to do better! Fortunately I can handle less pay even if I don't like it, but I know there are people out there who can't. For some, that might be the money they are putting back to save and now it's gone. I'm beginning to think the government isn't helping people save money for themselves. What do you think?

Ah...satisfaction! I told my husband that it was nice to open the fridge and it is full. There's something gratifying about knowing I'm ready for this week with some meals ready to heat and eat.

I did my usual put the chicken in the Crockpot thingy Friday night. Saturday morning I had a cooked chicken with rich broth. It's cold here and cold air bothers my asthma so other than a quick run to the grocery store for a few items, we were home and I spent most of the afternoon fixing things.

I baked bread with rice flour. I like having different breads when we have supper and I hate to spend gourmet prices for stuff you can make for a lot less. I heat it a few slices when we are ready to eat and it usually tastes pretty good.

I am trying a new recipe. I was looking through a Paula Deen cookbook and saw this recipe with rice.


Chicken and Rice Casserole


2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving

I'm going to admit that I didn't fix it exactly. The cookbook said to use a whole box of Uncle Ben's rice. I used the rice I had on hand.

I also used different vegetables. I roasted a big pan of celery, carrots, onions, zucchini and potatoes to put in a chicken pot pie so I used part of that. I like green beans, but I thought I'd use what I had. Why spend more than I need to? Hope Paula won't mind.

I also substituted the whole can of cream of celery soup with a half a can of cream of chicken (again, I used half of it for the chicken pot pie) and made up with it with plain yogurt. Sorry, Paula. I not only want to save some money, but cut out some of the fat.

I also shredded bits and pieces of a couple of cheeses that I had in the fridge. So, this is no longer a purebred recipe. Hope Paula understands!

I look forward to trying this recipe. As cold as it is, a nice hot casserole for supper will be yummy, and far more reasonable than going out! I just hope Paula Deen won't hate me forever!

It's darn cold here. I mean, bone chilling, wind whipping frigid. I'm sure it is worse some places, but I hate going out when it hurts to breath and getting up in the morning seems to be an challenge in either endurance or ignorance...those wood floors are frosty and we keep our house pretty cool.

As I get ready to go to work, cold cereal isn't making my day. I was looking at some recipes for using the Crockpot to fix oatmeal so it's hot and ready when I get up. One recipe said to add all the ingredients and put it on low...the thing that worried me was it said add the half and half. I thought that might curdle it or something. I looked at two other recipes and it mentioned just adding the oatmeal and water and then adding the half and half right before you eat it. I don't have half and half so it would be good ole' milk, but I think I might try that.

I'm thinking this might be a good, warm, cheap breakfast. One one of the sites, the person wrote that they make extra and put the leftovers in the fridge in a loaf pan. When it sets up they slice it and put it in the microwave for another hot breakfast.

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this.

Here is it Sunday afternoon in January. It's been a busy weekend getting errands run and things done, including laundry. I put a whole chicken in the Crockpot Friday night and yesterday used it to make chicken and dressing casserole, chicken and rice casserole, and now I'm trying to figure out what to do with the rest. I can take the easy way out and have chicken and noodles with the chicken and broth, or make chicken stew with vegetables, or another chicken casserole. My hubby picked up the chicken at Aldi and I notice it was $4.71. Getting three meals for a chicken under $5 isn't bad! Plus it means the bulk of three suppers is basically taken care of -- I just need to either put the casseroles in the oven to bake or heat up the chicken and broth with noodles. I roasted a large pan of vegetables to add to the chicken and rice casserole so I can either heat them up as a side dish, or instead of the chicken and noodles, use the chicken, broth and vegetables and make chicken stew.

I made a loaf of Artisan bread this afternoon. My pastor has been experimenting with making Artisan bread so it reminded me of my No Knead Bread recipe so I pulled it out. I did put a little olive oil with some dried herbs on top of it while it baked. I'm pretty pleased with how nice it looks sitting on the cooling rack.

Other than a couple of things like writing a thank you note and filling out a deposit slip, the bulk of my work here is done...now I can relax and enjoy the comfort of my home on a cold winter day.

Here's an article right up my alley -- ten money saving kitchen gadgets. I'm proud to say I own 9 of them and use them.

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/slideshows/10-kitchen-tools-that-will-save-you-money

I make use of my Crockpots -- yes, I know it is a brand name and mine are Rival Crockpots. I can't imagine trying to fix many of my meals without them. I make coffee in my coffee maker and brew my own tea as well because I am, well, cheap.

I grate my own cheese and I actually own two small cheese graters. One is better than the other, but I I've had one over 20 years so I think I've gotten my money out of it.

As much as I liked this url, I would say, unless folks actually use these kitchen gadgets or tools, they won't be saving anything. I made quiche again with some different ingredients this time and I grated my own cheese. I fixed coffee to go with it.

I know some folks just like to have the things, but not using them isn't saving money.

Can you think of any other kitchen tools that save you money? I would have to say my stand mixer saves us money. I've worn out three bread machines and finally gave up on buying another one, but I use it to mix my dough. I use it for other items as well so it's a multi-purpose tool.

We can certainly add to this list, can't we?

I just hate it when I try a new recipe and it's awful. I mean, the ingredients were good, but the taste was...well, it left a lot to be desired.

I had a recipe I had found in a magazine for an onion bread casserole. Easy enough...saute 3 onions, tear up a loaf of French bread, add 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese, 2 eggs, teaspoon of nutmeg, and 3 cups of milk. Mix together and put in fridge overnight. Bake for 45 minutes at 350. Sounds decent, right?

Wrong! It was soupy and I had put it in the fridge overnight to "soak" so the bread would have the egg and milk mixture throughout. The bread did rise like it was supposed to in the oven. But, it was soupy and pretty bland. I guess I'm used to more flavorful stuff. I was disappointed. We ate it, because it wasn't dreadful, but I doubt if I try it again as it is written.

Guess it's live and learn. I didn't buy anything I didn't already have. Just wonder what I could add to make it better. Any ideas?

Today I'm thankful for...drum roll please...leftovers!

I know some would think that was a weird thing, but first of all, if we have leftovers, it means we have more than enough to begin with.

Today we had another meal from that Crockpot ham we had earlier this week. Easy recipe for ham and mac and cheese:

Boil some elbow macaroni until done

Make a cheese sauce with a tablespoon of butter, tablepoon of flour heated through, then add cut up cheese and milk until desired consistency.

Cut up ham in small pieces.

Mix together and put in a greased pan and add bread crumbs to the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered for 25 minutes and take the cover off for the last five minutes! A hot, filling meal. Add a vegetable and a bread and a good Friday night meal. Easy, quick, and cheap!

I admit it...I'm a worrier. I know I shouldn't worry and I know it's a sin. Perhaps even a vice.

After all the stuff in the news about plastic and certain types leeching into our food and drinks, I went on a campaign to start replacing the plastic lidded bowls with glass ones. I hit a bonanza at a couple of "antique" shops...the old Pyrex dishes as well as the refrigerator dishes with lids were in abundance if you knew where to look. I have, the in the past few months, bought an assortment in different sizes. None of them match, but that's OK.

So, that's where I safely store the leftovers because I'm too cheap to throw them away. They make great lunches. I admit, I've become the laughingstock at school, though.

A drawback of using glass is they don't fit tightly and the lids come off. My solution...rubber bands to secure them. One of my friends said she should have me come in and teach problem solving to her class after she laughed at my "solution." Hey, it works. The rubber bands are the ones that came on the paper that the paper person doesn't seem to want back. Yeah, I called and left a message when I had a ton of them and said I'd leave them on the front step. They were there after the delivery. Guess they forgot they could save money by reusing them. So, I reuse them.

While I'm in the problem solving mode I can also say teh glass dish certainly adds to the weight of my lunch bag. Maybe I'm getting a workout with "weights".

I would say I'm hitting two birds with one glass container -- no BPA and getting a weight workout too.

Both my husband and I are history fans. My husband more so than I -- he loves those shows on the History Channel when they talk about tanks and go down to what kind of nuts and bolts were used to fasten things. Me, not so much.

However, we have a standing joke around our house. We talk about having a "Hoover dinner." Most Friday nights I get a whole frozen chicken and put it in the Crockpot to cook over night with some vegetables and herbs. Saturday morning we are awakened to the savory smell of chicken and broth. We figure Mr. Hoover would be proud of our chicken in the Crockpot and making two to three meals out of it.

Those folks who remember some historical phrases, when Herbert Hoover was running for president, he promised a chicken in every pot. Well, I have a chicken in my Crockpot so maybe Herbert would be proud!

To digress,I would have to say with the mudslinging and hate ads going on, I would like to go back to some of Herbert and FDR's phrases while running for election; our local telelvision station admitted that 80% of their advertisement is made up of political ads. And they are downright nasty -- only one person has actually ran an ad stating what he plans to do. The rest are ripping into their competition. When this is all said and done, how can these folks try to work with each other to truly represent us?

OK, now that I'm back to the original subject, I do a lot of things with that chicken and broth. I usually make two to three meals from that chicken. I'm planning on chicken stew, chicken and noodles and a new recipe I'm itching to try: chicken and artichoke casserole. I found it in the magazine Simple and Delicious.It was shared by a gal named Amy Nutoni from Minnesota.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (14 oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, rined, drained, and chopped
1 can (10 3/4 ounces of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup 2% milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup onion and garlic salad courtons, coursely crushed

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combined the chicken, artichokes, soup, cheese, mayonnaise, milk, garlic, onion powder and pepper. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture. Transfer to a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with croutons. Baked, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

I'm not sure if Mr. Hoover would like this dish, but he'd like the chicken in the Crockpot. And he would probably appreciate my goal of saving money -- he was around during the depression -- he may not have been poor, but he saw what it did. That's why he promised a chicken in every pot. So, as we lift our forks we'll say, "This one's for you, Herbie!"

Every so often folks sit down and starting remembering the "Good Ole' Days". And, often, these days of memory weren't so good when they were being lived, but a hard scrabble way of life.

But for many, there were life lessons learned that proved useful later in life.

I've mentioned before my folks grew up during the depression. The struggles they lived through -- going hungry, patched clothes, and doing without shaped their lives and then shaped mine. I fear for having an empty pantry in case something bad might happen -- this fear was learned through their hard lives and passed down to me.

But, I also think this fear also has made me frugal in life as well as appreciative to what I have.

I admit I spend money. Sometimes I go wild and I feel guilty when I do it. But, fortunately I have the means to do this without having to do without things.

But, looking back, some of those things that were in place years ago really did save money and make sense. Old fashioned? Perhaps.

There a quote I often think about:

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
— Boyd K. Packer

If more people did this, perhaps we wouldn't have the money troubles in the economy.

Yesterday we took the train to Chicago and on the way home, chose to buy a sandwich and a bottle of water for our supper instead of buying the pricey meal in the dining car. After finishing the water, I put the bottle in my bag to bring home to recycle. It made me think of growing up when soft drinks were served in glass bottles. When you bought the soda, you paid a deposit and when you returned the empty bottle, you received your deposit back. Talk about recycling! You didn't have to check the bottom to see if the recycling place would take it! And I maintain that a soda doesn't taste as good nowdays in plastic container or aluminum can as it did in an ice cold bottle!

Plus, we had the entertainment of looking at the bottom of the bottle. My dad worked for Coca Cola bottling company and at the bottom of the bottle would be stamped the name of the city the bottle had originally been bottled at the first time it was used. It became a contest to see who had a bottle from the furtherst place.

Today I made what I call "Clean out your kitchen lasagna." I can't give measurements for anything. I had half a pound of sausage that I had cooked with onions and bell peppers. I had bits and pieces of different cheeses. I had a partial container of cream, a partial container of sour cream, milk, leftover lasagna noodles, and a few grape tomatoes. So, I thought a casserole could be this lasagna. I did open a small can of tomato sauce since I didn't have enough tomatoes, but the white sauce was thickedn with some butter and flour and it looked pretty good. It's sitting the fridge with two other casseroles we will be enjoying this week after I get off work.

Maybe we can define the "good" in the "Good Ole Days" as the good learning that took place.

So, what are some ways you are using it up, wearing it out, making it do, or doing without?

It's Sunday and I've been in the kitchen most of the afternoon fixing stuff for the coming week. I also pack my lunch for the next day because it means I don't have to get up that much earlier in the morning. Plus, I hate worrying that I might forget.

I have read many posts and blogs about folks saying they save money taking their lunches. It was always a given with me because I don't have time to go out and I don't want to get up an earlier than I have to to stop someplace and pick something up.

Are you creative with your lunches? Often I take leftovers and that's pretty good. But there are times when I don't have leftovers. For awhile, I was eating turkey and to be quite honest, I was getting a bit tired of it. I guess that sounds whiny. Sorry!

A friend of mine was talking about her tuna salad and I'm thinking I need to try it. She puts sliced boiled eggs (3 eggs, but only uses one yolk), and relish in it. That sounds pretty good.

I had some potatoes that were starting to get a bit soft and since I had fixed a chicken in the Crockpot, I had chicken broth left over. I normally freeze it so I have it on hand, but I figured it's mine and I can use it. So, I made potato soup this afternoon and put it in a microwavable mug with a lid for lunch tomorrow. It's supposed to be rainy so that sounds pretty good. DH bought a bag of apples on sale and we usually have grapes so I cleaned them and packaged the grapes in a plastic container and washed the apple and have it ready for my lunch. With a Thermos of water, it should be a decent lunch.

So, do you have the lunch packing blues?

I am torn. I have blogged about wanting a new stove and saving up for it.

I have been watching the ads and have also read Consumer Reports.

I think that if I catch the stove in sale, I have enough to pay for it.

There was something great about anticipating. I like looking through the Sunday ads and seeing what's out there. I have enjoyed perusing stores and looking at those sleek and shiny stoves and imagining them in my kitchen.

But, I wonder now if I should spend the money. It's not an issue of not having the money to pay bills. We do.

It's not an issue of having to have the stove...it's a want, not a need.

But, I'm torn. Do I want to keep the money in the credit union...I admit it, I like having that money in the bank and seeing the balance go up.

Or do I want a new stove enough to spend that money?

Geeze, talking about the old adage of having your cake and eating it too....

I like fall. I like it for a variety of reasons -- partially because it gets cooler. I'd like summer a whole lot more if it didn't get so stinking hot because I don't handle heat well. But, I think fall is a special time because the leaves change color and it just makes it enjoyable to watch as trees get more colorful each day.

I also think I like fall because it is a season of harvest. Believe it or not, I'm a food lover and some of the things harvested in the fall are simply delicious.

I like the aspect of baking more and using fall flavors. I try to bake things seasonally just to keep it in my mind what the season is like. The idea of a bubbling stew and a hearty bread on a cool fall day just makes me smile.

A few years ago in one of those coupon inserts a flour company had this harvest bread recipe and I clipped it and make it from time to time. It sort of tastes like stuffing which goes into the seasonal part. Hope you enjoy it.

Harvest Stuffing Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 envelope quick rise yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of minced onion (divided)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon celery sead.

Combine 1 cup all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons onions, parlsey, poultry seasoning and salt in a large bowl. Heat water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 F). Stir into flour mixture.

Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stire in remaining all purpose flour to make stiff batter.

Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Turn batter into greased bread pan (about 1 1/2 quart). Smooth top of dough in casserole with floured hands. Cover.

Rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Brush beaten egg on loaf. Sprinkle with remining onion and celery seed.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack. If you use a glass pan, bake at 350.

I have changed this a bit using sage because I like sage in my stuff and it does give it little more depth of flavor. Can you imagine how much a loaf of this would cost at a bakery? Once you get the basic ingredients to make bread, it makes store bought bread seem outrageous, especially at speciality bakeries!

OK, what kind of soup should I fix with this?

Many of us grew up on casseroles because they were a cheap way to stretch a meal whether it was with pasta or rice or bread crumbs. For some it brings back good memories of eating with family.

So, as I am in a quest for some new casserole recipes, I am wondering, why do we still like them?

Is it to save money -- I can stretch a chicken pretty far in a couple of casseroles.

Is it because it tastes good -- I sure plan on keeping the recipes we liked and forgetting those we didn't.

Is it for ease -- making them ahead of time and keeping them in the fridge or freezer sure makes it easy to feed those you love and adore.

Or is it a memory we like to relive?

So, what is our love affair with casseroles about?

I was at a meeting yesterday and one of the gals said that a mutual friend had told her about me. I looked at her and she said that this friend had told her that I make out a grocery list and then spend some time during the weekend cooking stuff for the week. I wasn't sure if she thought this was a positive or negative thing. My perception was it was I was crazy, but that's a whole different story.

I do fix things on weekends and store in the fridge during the school year for a variety of reasons. Most nights I come in the door and have very little time to fix stuff from scratch. Although I know there are things out there you can heat and eat, I am trying to eat stuff that doesn't have a lot of salt or preservatives in them. And, they are pricey.

Plus, the temptation to go out is there when I come home tired. So, if I have something already ready to heat up, chances are I can reason it out that I need to use it for two reasons -- if it's basically fixed and just needs to be heated, it won't take long and by the time I clean up and go out, it would take longer to eat (not to mention the expense), plus that would mean I would waste what I had already fixed. It basically boils down to money.

I can afford to go out and we do eat out, just not every night.

I always feel a twinge of regret on Friday night when the fridge looks bare since we've used the casseroles, stews, etc. that I fixed for the week and the pantry has empty spots. There's a security when my fridge is full of meals ready to eat (sorry, armed forces, I borrowed your phrase).

So, after this discussion and getting a few odd looks from the people at the meeting, I now query, am I anal because I take the time to cook stuff and control what goes into it and have meals ready to eat?
Or am I just cheap?