Goodbye 2012

I'm winding down the year. 

I tried to get a prescription filled but thanks to changes in my coverage and limits on drug quantities, I'm still in limbo.  My drug coverage company informed me that a drug I've been taking for years will no longer be on the formulary for 2013 and offered several suggestions to replace it.  Trying to be proactive, I made my appointment with my doctor and had her write me a prescription to replace the non-covered drug with a covered one.  Apparently, there is a conflict with the old drug I'm still using and this new one that has to do with the limits of how much they will cover.  So now, I'm stuck without it until at least the end of the week.  My physician will have to contact them to explain why I need both.  (Obviously, she wouldn't have written it if I didn't need it.)

One of my main goals for 2013 is to work on my bread making skills.  I asked for (and received) the book - Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day.  I mixed up my first batch Saturday and baked the first loaf Sunday for dinner.  We ate the whole thing in a flash.  I'll be doing a full post on this along with an overview of the method later this week.  For now, here's a sneak peek at the finished product after we finished eating!  It was good.

Right now, I need to work on getting my Christmas ham sliced and vacuum sealed for the freezer.  I'm off to the kitchen.

Have a safe New Years Eve and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas ...

I took a week off from the blog to finish up my shopping and baking.  I was determined to have a stress free holiday. 

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday time.  Next on our agenda is a Happy New Year

For now, I just have my menu for the week - which at this point is mostly done.

Sunday - Crockpot Roast with Mashed Potatoes
Monday - Christmas Eve buffet with Chicken nuggets, veggies, cookies, etc.
Tuesday - Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, and Brussel Sprouts
Wednesday - Leftover extravaganza (roast, potatoes, beans, etc.)
Thursday - Spaghetti with Sausages
Friday - TBD (maybe homemade pizza)

I'm currently pondering my 2013 goals with respect to blogging, stockpiling, grocery budgets, and personal goals.

Ready for not, it's 9 days till Christmas

In just over a week, we'll be sitting around with family opening gifts and eating good food.  Am I ready?  Not quite yet.  Shopping got a little derailed this weekend.....

I got off work early Friday and had initially planned on running some errands and possibly going by the sausage store.  I also thought about finding a gift for my dear hubby.  As it turned out, my sister was in town and we spent several hours visiting - something we've not done in quite some time.  I enjoyed our time together.  As a result, no shopping was done.

DH and I spent Friday evening in having some leftover vegetable beef soup and watching a little tv.  Saturday we had scheduled to head a couple of hours south to buy and pick up a china cabinet I found on craigslist.  (I've been looking since I sold my old set in April!  When I found one, I jumped on it very quickly.)  We went to our usual Saturday morning breakfast and then headed south.  It was almost a two hour trip there.  Once we saw it, I knew it was a keeper.  Unfortunately, it was also very heavy and hard to get into the truck but, we did it.  We strapped it down and headed home.

DD and DSIL came by to help us get it into the house.  That was much easier than getting it loaded!  I spent Saturday evening and some of Sunday tracking down the Spode and loading it up.  I am soooo glad to have all my china (3 sets) in one place with an abundance of the Spode displayed.  It looks so pretty.

Sunday evening DH and I went to see our granddaughters in a play at church.  It was very entertaining and they did great!  It's been a good weekend.

Tomorrow, I work on: grocery lists, working on a craft project for DH's boss, and some other things.  It's going to be a long and busy week.  Several gifts to buy and things to do.

Menu Monday

I devised a menu for the week however, it was derailed before I could get the first meal on the table.
I stopped by several stores on the way home from work today looking for a specific object we need for a Christmas gift.  I still needed to go by the grocery store.  Originally, I planned to make BLTs and potato soup tonight but there was no way I could start this an hour plus later than normal AND having DH home early because of a dental appointment.

I opted to flip Monday and Tuesday's dinners and substitute some ground beef for the sausage that was still frozen.  I was able to pull this off even after three stops on the way home.  I spent just $49 at the grocery store and saved $28.  (A 36% savings!)  I could have done better - and I might stop back by on Wednesday - but I was at a different store and things are organized just a little differently.

Monday - Spaghetti with meat sauce
Tuesday - BLT and Potato Soup
Wednesday - Vegetable Beef Soup and bread
Thursday - Tacos (any surprise here?)
Friday - Leftover Soup
Saturday - Homemade Pizza

 Now, if I could just get motivated to finish some gifts and wrap them up......

I'm thinking that I will challenge myself again in 2013 to track my grocery spending.  I think I'd like to limit it to $75 per week or $300 per month.  While I'd like this to include my bulk meat purchases, I think I need to add an additional $400 for the year to accommodate my Zaycon Foods, Patak Meat, and The Butcher Shop purchases.  I'll try to incorporate the bulk meat purchases into the weekly amount but the extra $400 is there if needed.  I'm hoping that this is a generous budget since I have a pretty well stocked dry pantry and my freezer is full - mostly with meats.

Ideally, I want to continue to build my stockpile while both DH and I are working in 2013 since neither of us is sure how long this situation will last.  By doing this, our larder will hold even more should we need to fully rely on it.  I will continue dehydrating and canning where appropriate, especially when I can obtain foods at reduced prices.

Menu Monday and Shopping

Quickly, here's the menu...

Sunday - Smoked Pork Chops, new potatoes and green vegetables
Monday - Chef Salad and baked potato
Tuesday - Double Smoked Beef Sausage and rice side (leftover vegetables)
Wednesday - Beef Pot Pie (from leftover roast)
Thursday - Italian chicken, potatoes and onions, green beans
Friday - Homemade Pizza or Pizza out
Saturday - Soup ?

I stopped by Publix on the way home today.  There was very little on sale this week that I really needed or wanted.  In essence, I picked up four boxes of Luzianne tea at $1.25 each, four rolls of Brawny towels.  Johnsonville Italian Sausage was on sale for $3.99 each less coupons making them $1.99 each.  I picked up a couple of more items that were on sale and then some necessities:  milk, bread, deli meat, fresh vegetables.  I spent $54.

Over the weekend, we went back to Patak Meats.  I picked up two pounds each of mild Italian sausage and hot Italian Sausage, four large smoked pork chops, a pound of peppered bacon, a pound of hard salami, a pound of double smoked beef sausage, and half a pound of Canadian bacon.  I packaged up the Italian Sausage into two link portions and vacuum sealed for the freezer.  I also packaged up three-quarters of the salami into a vacuum packed bag for the freezer.  I spent about $42 on all the meat.  I estimate that I have approximately 10 meals plus the salami and Canadian bacon.  If we use the the pepper bacon for one meal and two breakfasts, that would bring the meal count up to 13.  (About $3 per meal for two and one meal for four.)

Right now, my freezer is full again.  This time, it is mostly meat with some fruits and vegetables.  A good "war chest" for hard times.  Given that there may be additional taxes after the first of the year or possible unemployment, this is our safety net.  I'll be working on preserving some potatoes (dehydrating both white and sweet), stocking up on more canned vegetables and dried beans.

Game plan ideas for 2013:

Starting the first of the year, I intend to take advantage of every gas card deal Publix offers to gather up a selection of gas cards.  This will allow me to pre-pay fuel expenses.

I will continue to stock up on canned goods when they are at or below best prices or I have coupons to bring them down in price.  (I must keep in mind that some items - soups - are seasonal and may not be eaten before the best by date.)

Start baking and using baking supplies on a routine basis.  Baking mixes tend to expire in a shorter period of time.  Use what you have.

Long time, no post ...

It's been almost two weeks since I posted.  In the intervening time, we've enjoyed Thanksgiving, Black Friday and getting started with the Christmas season.

We're still struggling with a temperamental garage door.  I think we've determined the problem and we're trying to decide the best way to remedy the situation.  I was able to lubricate both doors with some grease especially designed for the screw drive mechanism.  It make a tremendous difference in both the noise and smoothness of operation.  The problem is a loose wire (connection) where the photoelectric eye wire connects to the main unit.  I think we can fix this at little or no cost.

Christmas shopping:  We decided, after looking through the newspapers, not to partake in the early morning shopping antics on Black Friday.  Instead, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then went out.  We were able to do our shopping for the little kids in one day.  They each have a main gift from us and now we'll just pick up a few small things to go along with the main gifts.  I have made winter scarfs for 3 of the 4 especially to fit their personality and coat color. 

I'm also working on a craft that uses all recycled materials.  My only purchase was a new glue stick. 

The outside lights are up (except the angel in the yard).  I had one set of lights that refused to work.  Fortunately, I found that I had a spare set - all green - in my stock already.  No extra expense.  DH is going to look at repairing the deer for the yard.  The Angel will go out next weekend.

Inside, the decorations are going up much slower.  The tree is up but again, I had problems with the lights.  I had to pull four strings off the tree.  I was able to repair one set.  I'm still hoping to repair a second one.  Two are going directly into the trash.  I bought two replacement strings at Target for $8.  I foresee that we'll be going to LED lights within the next few years.

Every year I make 10 new Christmas ornaments for the tree.  This year, I painted silver and gold bells.   They're done except that they need a light coat of sealer.  Right now, it's too cold outside to do that when I get home.  Maybe tomorrow I can get that done.

Tomorrow, we're having a load of firewood delivered.  I can't remember the last time we had a whole load.  I expect to be sitting near the fire many times this winter.  It also makes an excellent source of emergency heat and an alternate cooking site.  (Cast iron rocks!  I'm thinking about asking for a cast iron dutch oven for Christmas.)

Right now, I have a turkey breast in the fridge  that needs my attention.  I found half a breast in the meat case at Publix yesterday.  I'm going to remove it from the bone, vacuum seal and freeze it for later.  It was marked at just over $2 a pound since it was close to expiring while the new ones were over $4 a pound.  Not as cheap as buying a whole turkey but I find that we just don't eat anything but the breast.

Later..

A very good shopping trip

I stopped by the P after work to pick up the deals for the week since I was able to take a few minutes this morning to organize my list and pull my coupons.  (I'd already gotten some deli meat for lunches this week over the weekend.)

With the holidays quickly on us, there are lots of coupons for cooking and baking products right now to coincide with the coupons.  (Last weekend I picked up three copies of the newspaper since there were so many good coupons.)

Among my best deals were Halls cough drops for .12 per bag, Progresso Recipe Starters for .15 each, Domino one pound sugar for .50 each, and several kinds of salt.  In the also mention category was some Dixie Crystals Sugar which was on sale and I had a coupon for, Betty Crocker potatoes really cheap, and .38 Texas Toast.

My totals were $40.91 spent with $48.20 saved.  This is a 54% savings and included the following at full price:  boneless pork chops and a large jar of olives.

Photos to serve as evidence....

What's new?

In the eleven days since my last post, it seems like I've done just the opposite of being frugal.

I started the new month by making large meat purchase, 30 pounds of bacon and 20 pounds (2) of boneless ham.  I just finished dividing and wrapping the bacon.  I took either 8 or 6 slices and bundled together wrapped in waxed paper.  I packed as many of these bundles as possible into the vacuum bags.  For the ones for longest storage, they went into Food Saver vacuum bags.  I put several into the Ziplock vacuum bags for use with the hand held vacuum.  This Ziploc bag works great for the package you're currently eating out of.  I think I counted 222 slices plus what we've already cooked and eaten - about 2 pounds.

One ham will be cooked and consumed as part of Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas/New Years.  The look great and I love the fact that they're boneless.  DD and I have discussed our desire to have a meat slicer.  We may go in together to buy a small one.

I have also purchased another 9 pounds of apples.  These were cheap at .66 per pound and in addition to the applesauce (5 pints) and pears (6 pints with pears that were .69 per pound) that I canned last week, I want to turn these into an apple pie filling. I will use apple juice for the liquid and can with all the spices.  I will not thicken before canning because a special thickener is required with canning.  This will be done just before baking.

Spending two days at home last week, both my fuel and eating expenses were less than normal.  I was able to eat leftovers one day and no extra expenses for snacks.  I had intended to eat in Friday night but due to DH receiving a free lunch at work and that being exactly what I planned for dinner that night.  We were able to save a little money by using a buy one get one free deal at a local pizza place.  We were able to feed us and DD and the little boy for what we would have spent anyway.  We were good and ate breakfast in both Saturday and Sunday.

The MOST frugal thing we've done is to fix our garage door ourselves.  It would not close without stopping and restarting many times.  As it turned out, the problem was the photoelectric eyes.  We found a set of replacements in the parts the former homeowner left.  They were brand new, easy to replace and fixed the problem.  While we were working on the door, we decided to reinforce the bottom of the door a little more.  (We have a problem with the bottom of the door rotting.  It eventually needs to be replaced but now is not the time.  We previously patched the door with a wood bonding agent and used an aluminum ruler to reinforce the door.  This time, we also added a piece of L-angled metal to add some rigidity.  We spent $10 on the metal and some additional bolts and washers.  About an hour - including replacing the eyes - and we were done.)  Our goal is to replace the bottom panel in the Spring.

I continue working on my dresden plate quilt and I've started painting my Christmas ornaments. 


 

Whew, I made it

Today, the 31st marks the end of the month and a new paycheck.  In the last 11 days, I have tried very hard to limit my spending to necessary items.  I was able to get to the end of the month and meet my obligations without issue.

Ways I stretched my buck:

Used gas gift cards to fuel my car in part.
Limited my travels when possible.
Limited our dining out.
Minimized my lunch spending to bare bones.
Took lunches most days and DH took lunches half the time.
Postponed some spending.
Minimized grocery spending to necessities and extreme bargains.
Occupied myself (entertainment) with items already on hand and redbox rentals.
Used coupons as much as possible.
Used regular coffee instead of k-cups several days.

I did transfer a small amount of money from my savings to my checking to ensure that all automated payments would be covered.  I was able to reduce spending enough that I actually didn't need to.

Now, moving forward.

My general plan for the rest of the year is to continue to build my stockpile.  After the first of the year, DH and I will sit down and decide if we need to continue to build, stand steady or consume.  I will be ordering bacon and ham tomorrow from Zaycon Foods.  I will also make another trip to the butcher shop to purchase some ground sirloin.

I will continue canning items that I can find at a discount.  Right now, that includes apples purchased at .66 per pound and 30 apples that were free.  I'm thinking more applesauce, some apple pie filling and a small amount of apple butter.  Right now, I have a couple of pounds of cherries in the freezer.  I'd like to try some cherry jam from those.

This fall, I want to can some sweet potato chunks and perhaps some more potatoes.  As far as dehydrating (which, by the way, is a great way to supplement your heating), I want to dry some additional hash browns and maybe some sweet potatoes as well.  As frozen vegetables go on sale, I will try to dry some more vegetables to put together a jar of veggies for soup. 

That's enough for now.  More thinking and planning later.  DH just announced that the "holidays are here, time to start planning for Thanksgiving."  Good grief, Charlie Brown.

 

Resisting the temptation..

It's Thursday, I don't feel much like cooking.  Take out or going out sounds really good, .. and easy.

Stay focused.

Checking the freezer, I remember that I put some things in the freezer just for times like these.

BBQ shredded pork, chicken, meatballs.  Meatballs.  With Spaghetti.

It actually sounds really good and quick.

Let me go cook before I loose my resolve.

Too much month at the end of the money

I checked my bank account today to find that those extra expenditures had taken a bite out of my bank balance.  9 days to payday.  After a few minutes of panic, I decided that a good plan is more effective than panic.

How did I get to this point?  October has some extra expenses for me every year but this year had a few extras.  I picked up a couple of bills since we had a large expenditure for the new gutters.  I also had tag/taxes due on my car.  Zaycon sold chicken in my area and we had a few small medical expenditures. 

How do I get to the end of the month?  My first step was re-evaluating my grocery trip for today.  I trimmed it significantly to minimize the expense.  I got it down to 10 items and less than $20.  Success.  I will proceed with an apple purchase from Aldi this week since the price is so low.

I'm going to strictly limit my lunch expenses and carefully control spending at Walmart over the next 9 days.  I'm going to utilize what I have whenever possible - I think I have what I need on hand to finish my Dresden plate quilt.  I have groceries that will carry us without issue.  (I may need to buy a perishable here and there.)

It will be interesting to see just how much I can reduce expenses between now and the end of the month.

A busy day....

It's been a busy weekend, especially today.

Friday night, instead of going out to eat, I used some beef chunks to put together a vegetable beef soup.  It saved us the expense of a dinner out and the bonus is leftovers for Monday's dinner.  I love to come home to a pot of soup to warm after that first day of the work week.  I'll probably make us a grilled cheese sandwich to go along with it and call it a day.

Saturday, we had several errands that we needed to run.  We also stopped by Target later in the day.  They had marked down some 'Seal a Meal' quart bags to $3.98 for 20 bags.  It was SUCH a good deal that I picked up six boxes.  They should work fine in my Food Saver.

Sunday we spent most of the day doing chores around the house.  After mowing the lawn, I started trimming back a forsythia bush that had grown beyond belief.  DH helped to get some of the vines out that were massive.  The vines had grown through the forsythia and up into the dogwood tree.  We stuffed (and I mean stuffed) four large paper lawn bags full of cuttings and vines.

DH was also able to get the rain barrel back in place under the new gutters.  We also moved some stuff around in the garage.  Three loads of laundry and two loads of dishes.  (Where do are the dishes come from?)

One a crazy note, one of our garage springs broke unexpectedly today leaving us with an unusable garage door.  I'll be taking the little car tomorrow and hope to find a spring at the home improvement store.  DH thinks that he can repair it himself.  That would probably save us a $100 even with the spring purchase.

I dehydrated six pounds of red delicious apples and placed them into two quart jars which I vacuum sealed.  I see that Aldi's has both granny smith and gala apples for only .66 per pound this week.  I would like to get three or four bags of each to put up for winter.  I'd do six more pounds in the dehydrator, six pounds into applesauce and six pounds put up in a light syrup for apple pies.


I didn't get the green beans I bought Saturday canned but hope to finish that tomorrow. 
I didn't get any work done on my quilt project, it can wait until later in the week.
I need to water my houseplants.

So, my plans/goals for the week are as follows:

Monday:  Aldi, Grocery Store, Home Depot
Fix garage door, can beans

Tuesday:  Aldi (?), Can Apples, start applesauce

Wednesday:  Can applesauce and place apples in dehydrator

Thursday:  work on quilt

A good day

After having two bad days at work.  (I feel like I work with middle schoolers most of the time.) My day off today was a great break and I got a good bit done.

DD and I ordered 80 pounds of chicken from Zaycon Foods and it arrived Tuesday afternoon.  I took off about an hour early to pick it up. All told, it took a little over 2 hours to process (trim, pack, and label).  Most of the trimming went directly into a big past pot along with half an onion and a carrot.  I brought the pot up to a boil for about 30 minutes and then simmered for an hour.  After that, I moved the solids to the crock pot to continue to simmer over night. Most of the liquid went into the fridge to settle and allow the fat to solidify.  Today, I skimmed most of the fat and proceeded to can the broth into quarts using my new pressure canner.  The first batch was four gorgeous quarts of homemade broth. Canning the broth was an experience.  Listening to those jars repeatedly ping and spit was a riot.  All four have been washed down now and I'll double check the seals tomorrow. I have about two quarts of broth still left to can tomorrow night.  I think those will go into pint sized jars for convenience.  I was also able to glean a pound of shredded chicken from the broth meat.  I'm thinking chicken tacos?

I still have seven pounds of carrots to can.  Perhaps I can get those done Thursday or Friday.  I really need to find a source for produce that is cheaper and more plentiful than the grocery store or corner market.  The real farmers market here in Atlanta is on the south side of town and is at least an hour there and an hour back.  Not very convenient.

I also spent the day with my littlest grandson today.  His regular sitter is recovering from some surgery and he'll be spending a few days with me off and on for the next few weeks.  He was a joy today and we made some spiders as our arts and crafts project with pipe cleaners and some craft paint I had on hand. 

He went with me to the grocery store and was not a hindrance at all.  I was able to pick up a few items that were on sale and I had a coupon for.  It was not a huge shopping excursion as there were not that many things that we needed or an abundance of great deals. 

With the chicken mentioned above and several trips to the butcher shop for ground sirloin, a sausage trip, and some pre-cooked shredded pork, my meat stash in the freezer is in pretty good shape.  I'd like to take a hour or so over the weekend to get it more organized and take an inventory of what we really have.  

I'm loving the vacuum sealer (Food Saver) that I bought.  It's been very helpful in getting the shredded pork and chicken quickly packed. 

As for housework and chores, I did get three loads of laundry washed and dried today.  The garbage went out on time and the Halloween decorations are out.

I was able to add some blue borders to the quilt I'm working on and pulled it all together for the quilt top.

All good things must come to an end and as a result, it's back to work tomorrow.  Wish me well....

A freezer surprise...

I needed to clean some old things out of the freezer to make room for the chicken coming next week.  I found that there were quite a few things that had been in there too long (bags of frozen vegetables) and had turned into a solid mass.  There were also some bagged Voila dinners that we didn't care for.  I remember getting these REALLY cheap so it wasn't too painful to toss these. I also threw away some old dessert items and some left over baked goods. 

My next task is to organize the freezer into categories.  I'm thinking that I should have one shelf for fruit, baked goods, and dessert items.  A shelf for chicken items, a shelf for beef items and a shelf for pork and miscellaneous meat items. Butters, juice, spices, breakfast items all in the door. That leaves two baskets to be used for miscellaneous items. 

My future freezer focus will be on stocking the freezer with mostly meat, veggies and basic storage items.  I will not purchase so many snack items and convenience items unless I really think we can consume within 3 months. 

One happy spot in doing this task was finding a freezer bag of bacon hiding in the back.  Yippee!  That's probably about 25 slices or 4-5 meals worth for us. 

This weekend, I want to start working on a soup project.  I'd like to make four jars containing dehydrated vegetables (onions, celery, carrots, green beans, kidney beans, etc.) for soup.  I'd like to have these "convenience jars" available so I could just add some broth, a can of tomatoes and some meat (if I have it) to quickly have a vegetable soup. 

I also picked up a couple of pounds of apples at the local farmer's market (more like a neighborhood shop) to add to the galas I already have.  I'm going to make a small batch of applesauce for canning.  I'm still looking for cheap apples.

Saving Summer and Fall

This is a quick post regarding my canning and freezing for the summer and fall of 2012 - or lack thereof.

By this time last year, I had already canned some pears in syrup and some picked pears and I was just beginning on apples.  Unfortunately, this year it has been difficult to find inexpensive produce and fruit.  I have put several pints of cherries up along with several bags in the freezer.  (I'm going to make a small batch of cherry preserves later.)  I think I did about six pints of picked pears but I expected to increase my canning efforts this year instead of reducing.

I did make strawberry preserves but frankly, they don't look very good.  There was a lot of foam and they jelled too firm.  I've read that sometimes strawberries do that regardless of how you process due to the lack of moisture in the fruit.  I'll have to find some creative way to use those "preserves."

I wanted to can some peaches but I could never find a sufficient quantity at a price point to make it advantageous.  I did end up with several quarts of frozen peaches.  The best deals I found was to purchase the culled fruit from the local market.  Frequently, these would have bad spots by the time they ripened but they were tasty and froze easily.

I was able to dehydrate a good several pints of tomatoes over the summer along with some varied vegetables and fruits.  As the summer got good and hot, I had to reign in the dehydrating because the kitchen got too hot.  As winter rolls in, I want to get back to the dehydrating.  I found that dehydrating store bought veggies was very simple.  I'd like to put together several quarts of mixed vegetables from which I could quickly make a vegetable soup:  carrots, onions, celery, green beans, etc.  Maybe just add some canned tomatoes, broth and the dehydrated veggies.

Apples are just coming in season.  I'm going to search out some good deals on apples this weekend.  I need to dehydrate more and get some fresh applesauce made.  We went through a pint in just two days here.  (The little girls really like the chunky applesauce.)  Apples in the grocery store are running $1.50-$3 a pound.  The best deal I found was .66 a pound at Aldi last week.  I got six pounds but that quickly went into two small packages of dehydrated apples.  Last year I had about 40 pound of apples.  With six pounds already done and about 5 pounds on the table from the grocery store, that leaves me only 29 pounds to find.  Hmmmm!  That's going to be a challenge - maybe we should just shoot for 30 pounds total.

So many plans, so little time.

Octoberfest and a trip to the Sausage Shop

The main goals for October are to finish up some home projects and stock up the pantry/freezer.

We have a company coming Wednesday to put gutters and gutter covers back on the house. The front gutters (which were in poor condition) were removed when the painting was done and the rear gutters are getting covers.  Surprisingly, gutters are much more expensive that you realize.  (At least they were more than I realized.)  Oh well, it needs to be done so we're moving forward.  This will be the last significant expenditure on the house for 2012.  (We've put new flooring in the living room and dinning room, refinished the staircase, and painted the exterior this year.) There are still a few small projects that need to be wrapped up (touch up trim paint on stairs, finish painting outside rockers, purge and organize storage items), but we'll continue to work on those as time permits.

As for the other portion of our October goals, we took at trip over to Patak Bohemian Meats Saturday morning.  I was astounded at the people lined up to get in.  (They only open one Saturday a month.)  It took us about a half hour waiting outside and probably another 15 minutes waiting inside.  There were meats and sausages of every kind imaginable.  We left with 2.5 pounds of andouille sausage, two pounds of hot Italian sausage, one pound of smoked beef sausage, one pound of pepper bacon, a half a pound of Canadian bacon and a summer sausage that was about a pound and a half.  That's about 8.5 pounds of meat for just over $30.  We had the Italian sausage Saturday night and it was delicious.  Pepper bacon for breakfast and andouille for dinner tonight.  DSIL said the andouille was very good.  I packaged half the Italian and andouille for the freezer by vacuum sealing.  We'll be having some BLTs for dinner one night this week.  Yum.

I have had much of an opportunity to shop to stock the pantry.  I did get six pounds of apples from Aldi's on Thursday and dehydrated them last Friday.  Most are vacuum sealed and some are held out for snacking.  DD informed me that granny smith apples were on sale at Kroger but apparently not at mine.  Bummer.  I'm still trying to decide if I'm heading to Ellijay to apple pick or not.  If I can find some decent deals, I may just forgo this year.  I have some applesauce and canned apples left from last year so I really don't need to do as many.  Keep your fingers crossed that I can find some more good deals like the Aldi's deal.

I'll be heading back to Publix Monday or Tuesday.  I desperately need to stock up on green beans.  They have my favorites and I would like to speak with the manager about buying a box or case at a time.  I wonder if they give any discounts?

Also on my to-do list for this week is getting some of the old stuff out of the freezer.  I was able to get my upstairs freezer cleaned out but the big one downstairs needs some help, too!  With 40 pounds of chicken destined for my freezer on the 16th, this is a priority.    I know there are some frozen entrees (Voila meals) in the freezer that I purchased at give-away prices but we didn't care much for them.  There's also some stuffed potatoes that came as part of a meat purchase and some fish fillets that need to be tossed. 

I'm also still working on my new quilting project.  This one is a pointed Dresden plate pattern.  I purchased a bundle of fabric from Walmart and used that to create the 'plates.'  While shopping at Walmart today, I tried to find a coordinating blue but I was unable to locate one that went well.  Looks like I'll be making another trip to Joann's.  I also purchased some fabric and a pattern for a new nightgown for me.  I have issues finding suitable nightclothes that can be considered somewhat modest without being granny-style in nature. 

On a bright side, we were able to do something this weekend that we have not been able to accomplish for a long time.  We spent less than normal on eating out this weekend.  We ate out Saturday breakfast and then grabbed a fast food sandwich for lunch.  We had homemade pizza on Friday night, ate in Saturday night and lunched at home on Sunday.  I would estimate that we spent $27 on dining out this weekend.  After our fails of late, this is a great improvement.

It's going to be a long week - lots to do. 

Super Saving September Summary

So, September is gone.  Where are we?

One successful point of our savings plan was the automobile fuel.  I was able to spend one $50 gas card and $50 in cash for gas.  At the end of September, I still had 180 miles left to travel on the fuel I purchased. 

A true fail was limiting dining out.  We (I) obviously have absolutely no willpower. 

I haven't tallied up my grocery expenditures yet but I think I have reduced it a bit.  I've ordered (and paid for) 80 pounds of chicken that will be here mid-October.  (From now til then, I'll be working on getting the main freezer and the little freezer cleaned out.  Old items to the trash and eating what we can.) 

I purchased a Food Saver vacuum sealer this past weekend from BJs and ordered a jar sealer and two deli containers from Amazon today.  They are estimating that delivery will be October 4 or 5th which is amazing.  If they are able to pull that off, I will be impressed.  The expense was more than I wanted to have in September but with chicken coming soon, it eliminated another trip to BJs next weekend.  My wish list (long term) includes a pressure canner but at $200+ this may have to wait until Spring.

I need to keep watching for canning jars on sale / clearance as the season winds down. 

I hope to catch up on my receipts in the next few days.  I'm planning another grocery trip tomorrow to stock up on some deals.  There aren't that many but there are a few to be had.  At DH's request, I will be on a mission to stock up til the end of the year. 

It's apple season and I've been trying to decide if I want to do the u-pick again or simply purchase some apples.  The favorites were applesauce and dried apple slices.  I think I will price some apples at the local market and see the difference. 

Super Savings September

We're more than half way in now and time for another update.  For the second weekend, our dining out spending did decrease some.  We had dinner out Friday evening but to my surprise, DH picked up the tab for this.  (Normally, our dinning out is from my budget.)  As a result, we also went out to breakfast Saturday morning ($16) and dinner Saturday night ($26).  We did no eating out on Sunday. 

I was able to have a small grocery trip Sunday evening just buying what we needed for Sunday dinner and some essentials for the week - cream, milk, deli meat, etc. 

To my surprise, DH and I discussed our grocery spending.  While I've focused this month on using some of our stockpile and freezer goods to reduce grocery expenditures, DH is requesting that we make a focused effort to add to our stockpile during the next 7-8 weeks.  I will honor this request beginning Thursday, September 20th with an emphasis on great deals and staples.

My goal for gas expenses for the month was to spend a maximum of $50 out of pocket.  So far, I've spent $25 and used my gas gift card for another $25 of gas for this week.  I'll use the remaining $25 on the gift card for the third week with maybe a total OOP for gas at $75 or just slightly over.

I'm very close to completing the quilting project that I've been working on.  I'm trying to decide what project to start next and if it should be for Christmas gift giving.  I have homemade vanilla perking and ready to be bottled at any time.  I found some appropriate bottles on the web and will order in October.  I'm also going to start a batch of vodka cherries this weekend. 

I picked up two cases of small (8 ounce) jelly jars (Ball) at Target last week on clearance.  I'm going to make a small batch (maybe 6 jars) of apple butter along with my applesauce, canned apples, dehydrated apples and frozen apples after I go apple picking.

Meanwhile, it's work every day.  Tacos for dinner tomorrow!

Weekend Spending

I tried to control my spending this weekend but I have this uncontrollable urge to save money and stock up.  We ate in Friday night by preparing a homemade pizza using items we had in the fridge - pepperoni, one small green pepper, a handful of sun dried tomatoes and a small amount of onion.  It was pretty good but I'd recommend that you tuck those tomatoes under a bit of cheese because they burn very quickly.

Saturday, we had agreed to do our one meal out at our favorite local restaurant for breakfast.  This was a treat for us since we had not been in several weeks.  After stopping by the ball field for a few minutes, we headed home to start working on chores.  By lunch time, we were exhausted and looking for a break.  Where did we take it?  Steak and Shake.  I know, I know.  This is obviously our Achilles heel.  I did use a gift card so lunch for four of us was only $11 - a relative bargain.  But this wasn't enough, we went on to pick up a sub shop sandwich for dinner.  I think that was about $10.  Our dinning expenses were $37 for the weekend.  More than I would like but reasonable for 3 meals.  I promise to do better next weekend.

Getting out of the house also meant more spending.  I spent $49 at BJs Wholesale which included 5 pounds of ground beef (from which I made 48 Italian Meatballs and 36 plain meatballs), two pork loin roasts, and a large package of pepperoni.  This should be about 10-12 meals (plus some lunches) depending on who is eating. 

We also stopped by Target to pick up some breakfast bars, a bag of coffee, and a bag of chips.  About $15.  I never got to the grocery store over the weekend but went today.  Using a small list of essentials and deals, I limited my purchase to $32.52 with a savings of $29  - almost 50%!  Included in that was two packages of bacon, a half pound of deli meat, and some Magnum ice cream bars.  This included three Yakisoba noodle packages for free! 

I need to spend an hour or so cleaning out and purging some old items in the freezer.  Zaycon foods is coming with chicken in mid October so I need some room.

Progress against September goals, one week in

Tomorrow is the seventh day of the month.  One week into Super Savings September, I'm doing pretty good adhering to my frugal goals.

I haven't had to put gas into my car yet but that will come soon.  I'm going to put one of my gas gift cards in my purse.  These are $50 cards that I bought for $40 so I'm already ahead of the game.

My grocery trip Tuesday was pretty bare bones.  I spent $30 and saved $12.50.  Not a great savings percentage, but most items were necessities versus stock up items.  I expect to take a trip to the Butcher's Market this weekend.  They have an excellent coupon deal for four pounds of ground sirloin for $14.  (That's about $3.50 per pound.  Essentially, ground sirloin for the same price (Publix) of ground beef.)  I also have a second coupon to buy one pound of ground sirloin and get one pound free.  I did this deal once before and I've always been happy with the quality of the meat.

Tomorrow's (Friday) dinner will be a homemade pizza.  (Publix had their fresh pizza dough for half price (BOGOF) when I was there Tuesday.   Pair that with some sauce, cheese and pepperoni I already have on hand.  It will be a quick and easy dinner.  We enjoy a good homemade pizza since we can make it just the way we like it.  (I received a nice pizza stone for Christmas last year and we have used it at least twice a month so far this year.  Even at the cheap $5 pizza price, that's reducing our dinning out by $80 so far - more than paying for itself already.)

In an effort to save money, I am doing some of the house painting myself.  I've painted the front door for only $14.  (The rest of the paint will be used to paint the two rockers for the front porch.)  I'm also going to paint and reinstall the shutters myself.  The paint cost was $13 plus $24 for the new fasteners.  At least that's cheaper than new shutters at over $50 per pair (x4 = $200).  I hope to be able to get them painted and reinstalled before the end of the weekend.

I will be spending a little money this weekend to buy a gallon of masonery paint for the basement.  We had to move several shelves and while they are out of the way, we're taking the opportunity to paint the walls and do some reorganizing.  I have probably a dozen boxes of documents that I need to go through and purge as well.  I'm also going to try to find some house numbers at the HD.  I don't want to spend a lot but I don't want the cheap ones either.

We want to replace the ceiling fans on the porch but that's going to have to wait until after the gutters are installed - more money :( !

What I'm Reading

This time of the year, I have a little extra time and I find that I can help time pass a little quicker (especially at work) by having something to read as things get slow.  Right now, I have three books in progress.

Long term reading:  Atlas Shrugged.  Anyone who has read this tome, or even picked it up, knows that this is NOT a quick read.  I'm not sure I really enjoy it as a whole but I'm far enough in to want to know what happens and "Who is John Galt?"  It will probably take me well into winter to finish this as it tends to be my bedtime read and I can not get past a chapter a night - if that much.

Short term reading:  The Amateur.  An account (non-fiction) of Barack Obama's political background and his experiences in the White House.  This is a relatively quick read. 

Recreational reading:  Various.  I just finished one book today and expect to start another tomorrow.  I tend to enjoy light stories (fiction) about pioneering days, the Amish lifestyle, and historical romances.  I mix in a non-fiction here and there to spice it up.  Usually, these are on my kindle because I can take it with me anywhere I go and can move on to the next book with ease.

Getting back in the groove ....

It's been a while since I've posted.  We have some projects going on at the house and some unexpected things as well.  Primarily, we're getting the exterior of our house painted.  More details will follow on a subsequent post but let's just say that more than a couple of bucks will be leaving our pocket book after they're finished.

In an effort to quickly rebuild our 'retained earnings', I'm implementing Super Saving September.  I have a few goals in mind to get us started.  Gas for my car will be limited to $50 out of pocket.  Additional expenses will be handled with some gas gift cards.  Second, grocery expenses will be limited to $200 plus any Zaycon purchase.  No gift cards available but we do have a full pantry.  Third, one meal out per week.

More details on other goals, projects and menus on the next posts.

Menu Monday

Sunday - Beef Stew, rice, green beans
Monday - Leftover Pasta Fagoili soup and grilled cheese
Tuesday- Leftover beef stew
Wednesday- Smoked sausage, red rice
Thursday - cooks choice: veggie dinner, ham fried rice or salad
Friday - out?

Rule Breaker!

OK, full disclosure here.  I obviously have a problem following my own rules.

My initial plan was to cook a turkey my DD had in her freezer for dinner Sunday.  I was going to pick it up Thursday evening and thaw it over the next few days.  That plan kept getting pushed back until it became impossible to thaw before Sunday. 

So, I stopped by BJs Wholesale today while I was out to pick up a roast.  Last time I got one from them, I got a very large roast for less than $18.  Unfortunately, the smallest one they had was over $20.  I opted for a three pound package of beef chunks instead.  I'll be making some beef stew tomorrow.  Although I had to buy meat, I already have potatoes, carrots and rice to go along with it.  I should be able to get at least three meals from the meat.  I spent a total of $40 at BJs.  Aggr!  That really didn't conform to my no spend weekend!  (See why I say I can't follow my own rules!)

I was VERY good during our trip to Walmart last night.  I confined my purchases to two boxes of margarine, bacon bits and two spools of thread.  I'll have to go by the P sometime this week to get some lunch meat and maybe some milk/coffee cream.  Other meals for the week have been planned around the pantry and freezer.

Adventures in frugality....

So, we're about 24 hours into our "austere August" and we've had a few opportunities to keep our money in our pockets.  We ate at home last night using only what we had in hand, especially some perishable produce.  After dinner, we went to Menchies for some fro-yo but it was FREE thanks to some loyalty credits we had built up.

Later, DH wanted me to cut his hair saving us at least $15.  Finally, we're both brown bagging it today with sandwiches and sides from our pantry.  I was able to use up all the deli meat and not throw any away this time.

I have homemade pizza planned for dinner tonight and a draft menu for next week using freezer and pantry items.  Grocery shopping will be minimal this week - only necessities and deep bargains.

Austere August

Well, what's left anyway!

I took a look at my bank account today and realized that several large purchases have diminished my balance.  On the good side, I have sufficient funds to cover my expenses and a small savings for the unexpected.

I also have a well stocked pantry and a freezer full of food.  To give my bank account a rest, I'm instituting some rules/guidelines for the rest of the month:

1.  Necessities and deep bargains only.
2.  No large purchases ( except house painting) until 9/1/12.
3.  One meal out per week.
4.  Eat from the freezer/pantry - be creative.
5.  Cheap/free entertainment.

Menu and Catching Up

Here's our menu this week:

Sunday - Burgers and Dogs with the fixins, Birthday Cake\
Monday - Beanie Weenies
Tuesday - Pasta and Sausage
Wednesday - Italian Chicken, Potatoes and Onions
Thursday - Salad or Ham Fried Rice
Friday - Homemade Pizza


First, a little explanation of the menu.  We had leftover baked beans from Sunday night so I added some cut up hot dogs (from the freezer) to create a cheap meal.  A sliced tomato and some rice rounded out the meal.

Now, for the catching up.  Since I was able to re-purpose our guest room, I found several opportunities to use my revised sewing space.  I put together a second sundress for my granddaughter (the other one did not want anything made for her) and she was able to wear it for the first day of school.

I also pulled out a quilting project that I put away - about this time last year.  I purchased a fat quarter at Walmart to pull the design together and I'm utilizing some unbleached muslin with the top.  I may need to get a second piece of muslin for the backing depending on how big it turns out.

I also purchased a few fat quarters and some embroidery thread at a recent Joann's sale.  I've got a couple of ideas for Christmas gifts if I can get it together. 

Spoiler Alert:  (If you're expecting a gift from me, you may want to stop and not go any further.)  I have a couple of things in the works for special gifts.  I have homemade vanilla extract 'working' and I will be starting some vodka cherries next month.  I've found some recipes that I'd like to make as gifts for special folks. 




Monday

Menu Monday

Sunday - Baked ham, Mac and cheese
Monday - Potato soup and BLTs
Tuesday - leftover ham
Wednesday - chef salad
Thursday - Tacos!
Friday - cook's choice

What's in the dehydrator and the Menu

I dried a few tomatoes yesterday. 

Tonight, I have two bags of hash browns (not shredded) and a harvest of oregano and basil.

What's next?  No idea, at this time.

Menu for the Week:

Sunday - Hamburger Steaks
Monday - Pasta
Tuesday - Stuffed Potatoes
Wednesday - Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day
Thursday - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Spread with Bread
Friday - TBD, pizza?

Repurposing a Room

I've spent the last week or so working towards getting our extra bedroom re-organized and re-purposed.  For quite some time, we had a second hand bed in there that took up a lot of room.  Hardly anyone ever used it.  Squished into the remaining areas was a play area for the little kids and a sewing area for me.

First, we removed the bed.  Replacing a full size bed is a new daybed from IKEA.  (I really like the size, look and design.  My only complaint is that it is too difficult to pull out the trundle.  I believe it is a design flaw.)  It took about 3-4 hours to assemble.

It works reasonably well with the dresser that was already in the room.  It is a French Provencal style that I painted a glossy white several years ago.  The pulls on the dresser are a muted gold so I'm using some gold metal lamps in that room.

I cleaned off my sewing table (6 foot folding table) and now I have a convenient place to cut out patterns and whip up a project.  I also have a great place to work on a beading or a small painting project. 

I removed the easel stands from two frames, relocated the hanger and moved photos from the dresser top to the wall.  (Great space saver.)  I'm thinking that I want a vinyl quote for over the bed but I haven't decided yet if I need/want to repaint and what it needs to say.

I still have some work organizing the toy/book shelf and cleaning out both closets.  I may need some assistance with those tasks.  (Hint to DD!)  Photos will be coming soon. 

Eat Mor Chickn! (Soapbox Alert!)

Chick-fil-A is one of my favorite places to eat.  I also admire the fact that Truitt Cathy built this business from a tiny neighborhood restaurant he and his wife ran into a multi-million dollar franchise.  Since day one, the Cathy family has run their business based around their own personal beliefs.

As a result of the business's success, the family and the business have multiple charitable ventures.  The provide scholarships for qualified employees, faith based marriage retreats, camps for kids and most importantly they support multiple foster homes.  (They actually provide a SALARY to the foster parents so they can provide a living arrangements to nurture these foster kids.)

Evil company, right?  Well, you would think so this week.  In case you've not heard, the GLAD community is up in arms over some comments that the current Chick-fil-A president (Dan Cathy) made as part of an interview with a faith-based publication.  Apparently, Mr. Cathy's bible based values (traditional marriage) is an "outrage."  Celebrities are boycotting, the Henson organization has pulled it's business arrangements, and now Chicago politicians are prohibiting Chick-fil-A from expanding in their city.

Now, let's be clear. This is all because they dared to express a view which contradicts the objectives of the gay community.  Their business is anti-discriminatory and they don't refuse to serve gays and they also hire diverse people. 

Get a grip people!  If it comes as a surprise that the Cathy family has bible based values, you've not been paying attention.  If you like to "punish" people because their views are different from your own, boycott Chick-fil-A.  Just be aware, that one day your opinion will become the unacceptable one and people will treat you the same what you are treating this good people and all their employees, suppliers, etc.

Let one thought rule your actions, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!"

I'm done, carry on.

Productive Weekend

I've been absent from blogging for about a week.  It just seemed like I was just working, cooking, eating and sleeping at the time but when I think back, there really was more to it. 

In addition to canning come fresh cherries in syrup, I bought a flat of strawberries last weekend and I made some strawberry jam and put some sliced strawberries in the freezer.  (I'm not super happy with the jam because it is full of foam.  I've been assured that it is safe to eat.  I still want to try some cherry jam but I may wait until it's cooler.)

In the meantime, I've been drying everything I can put my hands on.  Right now, I have a dehydrator full of shredded hash browns (one large bag from frozen) and shredded carrots (5 pounds of fresh).   The hash browns are super simple, just layer out the potatoes and go.  For the carrots, I peeled and shredded and then used my pasta pot to blanch for two minutes.  I poured the potatoes out directly onto the dehydrator trays placed over the sink.  Using the sink sprayer, I cooled off the carrots quickly.  I have five trays of carrots going.  When we have tomatoes that start to go bad or a couple of slices left over after dinner, I stick those into the dryer and add to my jar of tomato bits.  These are great chopped up and added to soups!

There's been a lot of coverage lately on the drought issues we've been having and what the anticipated impact on our food supply/prices.  In an effort to head off any food inflation in the next few months, I've started stocking up on some items. 

Now, on the protein side, I've made some good progress this weekend.  Whole Foods had a sweet deal on some 85/15 ground beef Friday.  I picked up 7.5 pounds and repackaged into 3/4-1.25 pound packages.  I also stopped by my local butcher shop.  They had a deal for 4 pounds of ground sirloin for $13.99 and a coupon for buy one pound, get one free.  All together, I got six pounds of this.  In addition to our dinner Friday night, I put 14 packages of ground beef into the freezer. 

This coming week, I'll be focusing on getting my guest room/sewing room in order and getting a second sundress whipped up for one of the little girls.  It goes together pretty quickly.  I also picked up a piece of lightweight pin whale corduroy for a fall one as well.  (She's balking at having to wear a shirt under it but I think as the weather gets cooler, it will make more sense to her.)

I hope to go get my new daybed next weekend and get that set up. 

This week's menu is still being determined.

Sunday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes
Monday - Chef Salad, rolls
Tuesday - Pasta
Wednesday - TDB
Thursday - Smoked Sausage and Red Rice

...  all subject to change.

Menu Monday

Sunday - Crockpot Roast with potatoes, carrots and onions
Monday - takeout sandwich
Tuesday - Leftover roast with wholewheat egg noodles
Wednesday - Spaghetti with leftover sauce
Thursday - undetermined
Friday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

I'm undecided about Thursday's dinner.  The little kids would love tacos but I'd have to make a trip to the store for meat and tortillas.  I could also make some sort of chicken (grilled, barbequed, etc.) - everything on hand for that but not a favorite of the little ones.  Chicken fingers is also an option but it tends to be expensive, especially if the Publix tenders are not on sale.  Decisions, decisions.

I guess I'll see how the week shakes out and make a decision later.

UPDATE:  I've decided to serve a salad bar on Thursday.  Fresh romaine lettuce, cukes, tomatoes, bell peppers, banana peppers, carrots, boiled eggs, chicken strips, nuts and seeds, croutons, kidney beans, edamame, bacon bits, and whatever else I can find in the fridge!  Add a fresh roll or loaf of bread.

Taking a Chance

My poor little iPod has been dead for several months.  The battery just kept getting weaker and weaker.  It finally got to a point that it wouldn't charge and would only run if it was plugged in.  Finally, it wouldn't even run that way.

Apple charges (last time I checked) $68 plus shipping to replace the battery.  I found a replacement on line and then I found one at Fry's for just at $20.  It sat for a while and I finally decided to take a chance.  After all, what did I really have to lose?

There was a great tutorial on You Tube so I started it up and got my tools together.  I didn't have a hard plastic scalpel like was recommended in the video so I substituted a flexible food spatula.  About 20 minutes later, I had done it.  Straight forward, no fuss, no muss.  There are a few small scratches on the bottom piece but that's a small price to pay.

Now, I can enjoy my tunes wherever.  I'm particularly enjoying it at work as a way to mask out the unwanted chatter and giggling. 

iPod, I've missed you.....

Menu Monday

Saturday - Chili Cheese Fries (a sinful treat)
Sunday - Spaghetti with Sausage, Salad, Bread
Monday - Ham Fried Rice and Egg Rolls
Tuesday -  Beanie Weenies over rice
Wednesday - Salad
Thursday - Italian Chicken and Potatoes
Friday - Homemade Pizza

Sunday Happenings

Hi!  It's Sunday and with nothing planned, we winged it today.  First, the berries I dehydrated FINALLY got finished.  The cranberries took just over 24 hours but surrprisingly, it was the blueberries that gave me the most problem.  Almost 36 hours!   I got a pint each of cranberries and blueberries dried and put up. 

I used some of my fresh fruit for a fruit salad Sunday evening:  two peaches, half a dozen strawberries, part of a pear, one kiwi, and a couple of dried blueberries.  Yummy!  I have two more packages of strawberries to work with tomorrow - for the freezer probably.

We did a little de-cluttering today.  We have an old rear projection tv that we got moved to the front porch.  It will go on Craigslist later this week.  An old set of mattresses is going to the curb in a day or so OR it will go to the dump next weekend.

I filled up our gas cans today - with gas at 3.16 a gallon and a hurricane brewing in the gulf, it was time.  The generator was cranked today just as a precaution. 

I used some dehydrated shredded hashbrowns for breakfast today.  They worked great.  I used a store brand frozen hash brown.  One bag makes two generous, two person servings.  I'm picking up two bags at the store tomorrow.  They were easy to dry, store and rehydrate.  I added some dehydrated peppers but they did not rehydrate sufficiently.  Next time, they go in the bowl first so they get more moisture. 

Tomorrow's game plan is to: 1) stop by the grocery store on the way home, 2) prep the strawberries, 3) spend 30 minutes on the dress I'm making - I was able to make some alterations today to make the bodice fit a little better, tomorrow I'll cut out the skirt and assemble it) and 30 minutes on getting the room organized (trash, put toys away, vacuum, etc.), and if necessry 4) move the mattresses to the curb.

Dinner tomorrow night is ham fried rice with egg rolls.  The ham was already in the fridge, broccoli and carrots in the fridge.  Egg Rolls will be new.  This week's menu is built around things we already have - just a few extras here and there.

Super Saturday

Cherries .....

With the blueberries and cranberries (and a few cherry halves) dehydrating all night, my first priority this morning was getting my cherries canned.  I measured about 8-9 cups (roughly) so I prepared four pint jars and started the cherries.  The Ball Blue Book indicated that I should use 3/4 cup per quart of cherries but since my cherries weren't particularly sweet, I went just a little heavier, added about 1/4 water and used a hot pack method as described in the book. Once they were packed, I ended up with three pints and one half-pint.  

Deals, deals, deals....

This afternoon, DH and I ventured out to our local Walmart.  I wanted to get another case of pint jars since I intend to store my dehydrated goods in jars.  I had picked out a bottle of walmart brand childrens Tylenol ($3.88) to replace the expired one I had.  When I turned the corner, I found a clearance shelf with some no-name Tylenol on clearance for .88 each.  I picked up four along with a package of chewables for .50.  The expiration date is 2014! 


Along with the four Delsyms I picked up at Target about a week ago, I have a good start on my medicine cabinet stock up.  I love a good deal!

I picked up most of my groceries at Walmart but a quick trip to Publix is in order for tomorrow.  I want to get some cherries (on sale this week at Publix) and a few other things that they have on sale. 

This week's menu will be built around what we already have.  Lots of tomatoes, strawberries, chicken, etc.

Friday Night Fun

As usual, I made a quick stop by Aldi's this afternoon after work.  They had some great deals on produce:  Strawberries for only .99 per package (4), blueberries at 1.49 (1), fresh corn at .19 per ear (4), and one bag of kiwi for .49.  I also picked up some staples for the pantry:  four four-pound bags of sugar, three cases of bottled water, two packages of paper napkins, two bottles of lemon juice, and two packages o crackers.  After deducting a $5 coupon from DD, my OOP was just at $28.

Right now, I have the blueberries and a package of cranberries (from the freezer) in the dehydrator.  There is also a single tomato chopped into medium to large pieces (the tomato was from Wednesday's trip to the farm market and already had a bad spot so it needed to be addressed).  Rumor is that the blueberries will take 12 hours and the cranberries can take up to 24 hours. 

I also pitted my three pounds of cherries in preparation to can tomorrow.  I'd like to get these into pint sized jars with a medium syrup.  I think I can get four pints.  My goal is to build a pantry of dehydrated goods and a small larder of canned goods.  What I learned from last year is that I don't need an abundance of any one thing but rather smaller sizes (there are only two of us most times). 

I'd like to run back by the farm market to get a few more zucchini.  The ones I dehydrated as small chunks did well and would be excellent in a vegetable soup.  ...and maybe a few more bargain items.

I've started a build up of my pantry/stockpile in anticipation of a deeper recession and/or some possible unemployment.  (My experience is that you never know when this will happen and if you're not prepared, it will be more difficult to deal with.)  This week, I'm focusing on sugar, toilet paper, and sale/clearance items.

Also, I've been using some homemade laundry detergent and I am very happy with it.  My trip to Walmart this weekend will likely include the ingredients to make another batch.  Maybe I can talk my DDIL into making it (for us to share), if I purchase the ingredients.

Stocking up, being thrifty, all in a day's work

Today was my second day with the 3yo.  We started the day off with a trip to BJs (wholesale club).  I picked up just two items that we needed:  paper cups and bacon bits.  Crazy huh?

After that, we stopped by a local open air market and I picked up a few items.  I got two regular local tomatoes (at 1.59/#)  and a pack of 'seconds' for only .69 (for 2 tomatoes).  I love the little packets they sell of slightly blemished items.  For example, the .69 package of tomatoes had a dirty tomato and a tomato with a small dark spot.  I can cut that dark spot out and make a delicious salad. 

I also got a package of three zucchini for only .99.  I chopped up two into small cubes and shredded the third.  All went into the dehydrator.  I also found half a small head of purple cabbage there for about 50 cents.  I couldn't find a small amount of this at Publix the other day.  Peaches were going price so I only got two to enjoy fresh.

After a quick lunch at home, we went to Walmart where I picked up two kiwi and a package of fresh pasta along with a case of 1/2 pint canning jars.  This should be the perfect size for dehydrated vegetables.  One cup should be about equal to two cups after they're re hydrated.  I can either use the whole thing or half at a time.

Finally, DH and I went out to eat tonight.  (Just slightly above fast food prices.)  While we were out, we stopped in Trader Joe's.  We picked up our favorites:  cartons of roasted red pepper tomato soup and potato pancakes.  I noticed that they had cherries on special.  I thought it said it was a 2 pound package for $6.99.  Still a better price than $4.99 per pound at the grocery store.  After I got home, I noticed it was a three pound package - even better.   Had I noticed, I probably would have gotten 2 package.  That's like $2.30 per pound! 

I'd like to can those cherries into pints to enjoy later in the year.  Maybe I can get at least one pint canned.

Christmas in July (almost)

The holidays will be here before we know it and I better get myself in gear if I hope to have some handmade gifts for Christmas.  My goal, beginning next week is to spend an hour each week day evening working on some project.  While I hope that most of these will be devoted to gifts, some of this time might be put towards other projects such as food storage, home projects or organization.

It's an adventure....

I was home today and keeping the 3yo.  We started the day with a summer matinee - 10am, complete with popcorn and drink.  I was surprised that the theater was not noisier than it was given that 75% or more of the attendees were under 10.  Three trips to the bathroom (well, actually four if you count the 2yo) and we were outta there.

We stopped for lunch and I then attempted a quiet hour.  Just forget that entirely.  For a kid who could sit for an hour and a half watching a movie, he couldn't keep himself on the sofa for an hour. 

After our quiet time (Ha!), we picked up a few things at the grocery store and I returned home to put some meat to marinade and started making a beef pot pie for dinner.  I also started dehydrating a bag of beans and a bag of carrots.  (I did pull out about a half cup of each for dinner.)

The little one was very helpful in getting me things and helping to get the clean clothes in and out of the dryer.

Finally, after dinner tonight, I did a little sewing on a sun dress for one of the twins.  We'll do a size check Thursday night and if it's a fit, I'll finish this up before the weekend is over.

All in all, I got a good bit done.  Tomorrow, we will head over to BJs and I hope to get some fresh carrots shredded and in the dehydrator. While I'm doing that, I plan on mixing up a batch of carrot raisin salad for Thursday's dinner.

Until tomorrow.....

New Week, new menu

Here we are in a new week.  First, I have a plan for dinners this week.

Sunday - Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes
Monday - Baja Chipolte Chicken
Tuesday - Individual Beef Pot Pies
Wednesday - Salad
Thursday -  TBD
Friday - Homemade Pizza

I'm still finalizing that Thursday meal.  I'm looking for something a little different this week that is acceptable to four adults and three kids who'd rather have a taco every night!  :)

What's up?

I was so excited that my dehydrator was due to be delivered yesterday.  When the opportunity came to leave work early, I quickly took it and was home about 2 hours early.  Unfortunately, the box had not been delivered when I arrived.  Just after 5:30, Fedex dropped off the box.  At first, I was astonished at the size of the box and when I opened it up, I realized that it may be too large to even fit on top of the dryer.  (Get that, a drier on the dryer!)

For the time being, I've cleared an area and it's sitting on the kitchen cabinet.  I think its final spot will likely be in the spare bedroom downstairs.  When I'm actively drying, it can sit on the counter and then move elsewhere for off times. 

The first items I tried were three zucchinis and a large cucumber.  I tired to slice these in the food processor but I found that a knife was just as quick and I had more control.  They both dried very quickly, probably within about 4 hours.  I added some banana slices before bedtime and set the timer to shut off about 2am. 

Today, I added a can of pineapple chunks (we're still looking for an alternative to packaged over sugared dried pineapple), several apples sliced in rings, and a lemon and a lime.  I also elected to dry the apple peelings.  Not really sure what I'm going to do with this yet.  I saw that you can make your own tea with it. 

At the grocery store today, I picked up an inexpensive bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns and a bag of frozen cut green beans.  I'm going to run a test on the hashed browns.  I'll dehydrate this week and try cooking them next weekend - adding some dried onions and peppers for seasoning.

I still need to get some additional canning jars.  Bring on the cheap fruits and veggies.

When things go wrong.....

I hurried home from work today, my plan in full swing.  I started the dishwasher.  Put the ground beef for Thursday on to cook and placed a plastic pouch of chicken in the sink to thaw.  (It was the only thing I believed would thaw in tie to make dinner.)

Everything was going well.  The ground beef cooked nicely while the dishwasher hummed away.  5:30, time to marinate the chicken.  I had planned to marinate the two breasts in some teriyaki marinade, grill and serve along with a Knorr side dish of teriyaki noodles.  I cut open the pouch and discovered a foul smell (pun intended)!

What to do?  Fortunately, DH was willing to run out for a quick dinner.  I stuck the cooked ground beef in the fridge, cleaned up the chicken mess and changed my shoes.

After dinner, we stopped at Target.  Look what I found:

Half priced Delsym.  Still not sure why it was marked down.  It doesn't expire until 2014.  Same size, regular price for the Grape flavor is $11 and change.  These were $5.68.  Shame on me - I cleared the shelf.  This is the ONLY cough medicine that we use in our house.

I also picked up two rolls of the Reynolds Wrap non-stick priced at about half it's normal price.

Ca-ching!  Keep your eyes peeled.

Menu Plan - We're winging it!

Here's the run down for the week:

Sunday - Beef Stew with carrots and potatoes
Monday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Tuesday - Homemade Subs
Wednesday - TBD  (Maybe grilled Chicken?)
Thursday - Taco Night!  (Back by popular demand.  The 3yo has asked for five soft tacos!)
Friday - Homemade Pizza

I am trying to be patient while I wait on my new dehydrator.  Hope the peppers in my fridge can hold out!  Expect a big batch of jerky soon.  I also want to try out Zucchini chips.  Note to self:  Need to pick up some quart canning jars from Walmart for dehydrating storage.

Also want to try dehydrating some tomato chunks.  (I crumbled some of the tomato slices I had dehydrated last week, re-hydrated them and added to the boxed tomato soup.  It added just the right amount of texture and pure tomato taste.)

Play a little, work a little

Saturday was all about play.  We ventured up to a Scottish Festival and Highland Games.  We met up with some new friends and enjoyed our little fun car.  To make the day even better, we had ourselves a good little nap after our travels and ended the day with a movie at home.  (Really, our favorite kind of movie.)

Sunday, on the other hand, required some chores.  We had initially planned on cleaning up the back yard:  getting some trash picked up, pruning, mowing, and generally tidying up the area.  When we woke to rain showers, we had to alter the plan.  I had two buyers scheduled to come by to check out some furniture posted on craigslist.  The first buyer decided to take it and I found myself with some cash in my pocket (ca-ching).

While we waited on the to come by and subsequently make a second trip, we used the time to do some cleaning and organizing down there.  Of special note was a laundry basket full of stuff that was waiting on me to dispose of.  The garage/basement looks much better with the furniture gone and some organization done.

I was also able to do a mini organization in my laundry room and hung a cordless drill/screwdriver on the wall.  DH is very happy about this since it had become an issue every time the toddlers were here.  (If I can, I want to un-install my can opener and toss it.  It won't even open a can on a single pass anymore.)

Car towels have also been washed.

I put a half a loaf of bread into the dehydrator and made some bread crumbs before I cleaned it to return it.

DH was also busy giving the bathroom a thorough cleaning and I topped it off with steaming the floor.  I do like a clean bathroom.  

 

Last batch in the Dehydrator

I took the plunge yesterday and ordered an Excalibur dehydrator.  I had the hardest time deciding which unit to get.  (They're not cheap!)  Ultimately, I decided that I needed the adjustable temperature.  The 26 hour timer would be helpful in situations where I needed to have the products dry just a little longer and not necessarily all day or all night. 

The price difference between the top of the line 9 tray and 5 tray units was just about $50.  I remembered apple season last year and having more apples than I could can.  I decided to take the plunge and fork out the difference for the 9 tray.  Unlike some of the other brands, the Excalibur is not expandable.  It does have the rear fan which supposedly eliminates the need to rotate your trays. 

I should have it in about a week or so.  In the meantime, I have my borrowed unit running with one tray of sliced tomatoes, one tray of mixed bell peppers, one full tray of oregano from my garden and a fourth tray with some basil.  I'll get it all washed up tomorrow and return it. 

I am looking forward to dehydrating some frozen vegetables when the unit arrives and DH wants me to do some jerky. 

Sweet Thing

I left work a little early today and stopped by Aldi on the way home.  They had blueberries advertised for just over a dollar and I was hoping to find some more cheap strawberries.  Unfortunately, I found neither.  I did pick up some cheese peanut butter crackers - a favorite for work snacks and a four pound bag of sugar (at .55 per pound, this is the cheapest sugar I can buy right now).  In addition, I got a pack of string cheese and a fresh pineapple.

I had dried some additional apples and strawberries last night.  DH didn't care for the strawberries but he expressed that he liked dried pineapple so I thought I would give it a try.  I peeled the pineapple and sliced as thin as I could.  I found that kitchen shears worked well to get those remaining eyes out and I could cut the core out easily with the shears after slicing.

The pineapple has been drying since 4pm and some is just beginning to dry but it is far from the crunchy state.  I do not think that this is the texture DH is looking for.  The must do something different to that dehydrated pineapple you find in the stores.  Next up, I'm going to attempt to dry some pineapple using the canned stuff.

I've just about convinced myself to purchase an Excalibur dehydrator.  I've tested the temperature of the one I'm borrowing and found that it can get as high as 150 degrees.  Frozen vegetables and fresh fruits should be dried at 125 max.  If anyone has feedback on these units, please let me know.

Menu for the week....

Sunday - BBQ pork chops, homemade mac and cheese
Monday - Manwich and Fries** 
Tuesday - undecided
Wednesday - undecided
Thursday - out with DS
Friday - Homemade Pizza

Dry, again....

I noticed this evening that my abundant purchase of tomatoes was beginning to go a little south.  I purchased these little packets of tomatoes on the vine from Aldi's on Friday and some are already a little softer than I would like for sandwiches and salads.

Rather than let them spoil, I sliced up about 4-5 (they're small) and filled up two trays on the dehydrator.  Since it was running, I also sliced two green peppers and filled a third tray.  I found a sad red pepper in the fridge whose skin was all wrinkled up.  I spent about 10-15 charring it over the stove.  After a steam in a paper bag, I peeled the roasted pepper, chopped coarsely and place it in the fourth dehydrator rack. 

My plan for this batch of dried tomatoes is to eventually (when I have enough for a small batch) grind into tomato powder.  I had planned on dehydrating the second package of strawberries but they will have to wait until tomorrow or they may just go in the freezer.

On another subject, I've been using some homemade laundry detergent my DDIL made and so far, I'm pleased with the results.  I am sensitive to perfumes and dyes in most laundry detergent and generally use a "free and clear" product.  While I can get these at a relatively low price, I'm thinking that the homemade version may be even cheaper. 

She's (DDIL) also made some homemade dishwasher detergent that I am anxious to try.  The brand I usually use does routinely have coupons but it is still expensive.  The cheaper brands don't seem to work as well in my machine.

It's been a bit dry here....

After stopping by Aldi's Friday afternoon, I cranked the dehydrator back up this weekend.  Saturday evening I chopped up five peppers (one red, one yellow, one orange and two green) and allowed the dehydrator to work it's magic.   By breakfast this morning, I had a pint of dehydrated peppers.  The peppers were $1.19 for three.

Sunday, I used my egg slicer to slice up a quart of strawberries.  (After they were washed and hulled, of course.)  I sprinkled just a tad of powdered sugar over one side.  I also used my new apple slicer, peeler and corer to slice up three apples (also from Aldi's).  I did dip the apple slices in an ice water lemon juice mix for just a minute or so.  I ran these at the same time and eventually moved four full trays into two.  I got a cup sized container of strawberries and a pint of sliced apples. 

I have another quart of strawberries and I may dry those as well since I've noticed that Aldi's will have strawberries for .99 next week as well.  They required no special prep and dried relatively quickly.  The finished product is very tasty.  I can see that these would be particularly useful as cereal add-ins, snacking, and re hydrated and chopped for baking.

The apples are relatively quick to prepare and they were very tasty.  I sprinkled just a tad of cinnamon to offset any potential discoloration but surprisingly, there was very little discoloration. 

I purchased two red pears at Publix today and may try to dehydrate one of these to see how it compares with the apples.

I am considering purchasing a more industrial dehydrator - like an Excalibur, or a unit that can accommodate more trays.  If I'm going to spend the time (I like to be here most of the time while the unit is running), energy and money to run the thing, I want to get the most bang for my buck.

A plan for June

I have a freezer full of food.  A little of it needs to be purged, most needs to be eaten.  For the month of June, I'm instituting a freezer/pantry challenge.

I am going to try to use at least one item from the freezer every day.  Items to go into the freezer will be limited to meats purchased on sale and very good deals.  I am also limiting my weekly grocery purchases to deals, sales and absolute necessities.

For example, Publix has boneless pork loin on sale this week for $1.99 per pound.  That's at least half the price of the prepared pork chops.  We enjoy barbecued chops (shake and bake) and these freeze well and thaw fast.  I think I will purchase two:  cook one for Sunday dinner and freeze the second one cut as chops.

I stopped at Aldi's this afternoon.  I found sugar cheaper than I've seen i a while - .55 per pound.  The best price otherwise has been at least .60 per pound.  These were in four pound packages and I picked up three today.  I also got a salt and pepper shaker for the stockpile.  In addition, I picked up two packages of tortillas and three boxes of taco shells - all for .99 each.  (Those little kids REALLY like tacos!) For fresh vegetables, I got two packs of colored peppers, one pack of green peppers (I plan to slice and dehydrate most of these), two packages of strawberries (one package to slice and dehydrate), and three bags of tomatoes on the vine (at .59 per  package, we'll eat what we can and slice and dehydrate the rest).  I also picked up a three pound bag of apples - got to check out that apple slicer.  My total OOP was $31.

During June, I'm also testing out homemade versions of laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent.  
 

My order finally arrived....

Some time ago, I ordered an apple peeler, corer, and slicer from Zulily.com.  It was a good price and shipping was reasonable.  Unfortunately, it seems like it took forever to get here - nearly three weeks from the order date.  What I did not realize is that my order was not immediately processed and shipping was through that hybrid UPS/USPS service. 

Frustrated, I emailed the company yesterday to express my displeasure at how long my order was taking.  The Zulily representative responded very quickly and apologized for the situation.  As it turns out, the package arrived exactly when they estimated it would.  I just didn't know this when I placed the order.  (I'll know better next time.)  Zulily also offered me a credit on my account for future orders.  I do appreciate their customer service.

The peeler arrived today.  It IS a quality product, well made.  I've yet to try it out but thus far, it gets a thumbs up.  Now, I'm ready for apple season!

Time flies....

Wow!  It's been two weeks since I posted anything here, not even a menu!  I've started a couple of posts but halfway through, I lost everything I typed and grew frustrated.  I have some things I want to discuss, including summer menus, stockpiling and coupons, pantry storage, crafting and projects, etc.  I'm working on getting a schedule together to make this less willy-nilly.

For now, let me just leave you with a quick menu for the week:

Sunday - Chef Salad
Monday - Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Salad and Beans
Tuesday - Baked stuffed chicke  (Kiev and Cordon Blue) with wild rice, green beans and salad
Wednesday - Salad
Thursday - Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
Friday - Homemade Pizza

Since we talked last.....

... a lot has happened.  Not the shake in your boots kind of things but the everyday things.

Friday was a particularly bad day at work.  I won't bore you with the details but it was one of those days that you just want to grab your purse and hit the road, never to return.  I'm finding that these days come more frequently.

On Saturday, I was able to get the runner laid on the staircase.  It does look amazing, if I say so myself.  There are still a few places that need a bit of caulk and a touch-up of paint.  I'm planning to paint the spindles and handrails a bit at the time during the next month or two.

Sunday was a nice Mothers Day.  I received some thoughtful gifts and well wishes.  It was mostly a quiet day and the soft rain fell steady like a lullaby.

Monday, I was back to work.  (As much as I wasn't looking forward to it, it wasn't so bad.)  I was so tired that I completely missed Dancing with the Stars because I fell asleep on the couch. 

So, for this week's menu:

Sunday - Hamburger Steaks, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Monday - Vegetable Fried Rice and Egg Rolls
Tuesday - TBD
Wednesday - Salad or BLTs and Potato Soup
Thursday - Tacos (a kid favorite apparently)
Friday - Pizza

I've been trying to get some chicken on the grill for two weeks now.  Between our rain showers, work responsibilities and other events, it's been a non-starter.

Looking forward, I have a few goals for Spring which I'll share in the next few days along with some pictures of the garden and the stairs.

Two Things

First, sometimes you punt.  Dinner tonight was supposed to be grilled chicken served fajita style.  Unfortunately, the chicken was still frozen solid when I got home so instead, we're having tacos.  Thanks to a well stocked freezer, I just pulled a package of ground beef from the freezer and went with it.

Second, I was struggling with trying to figure out if the trim paint inside was latex or oil based.  (I want to get the right kind and not have it peel off.)  I called Sherwin Williams and asked how to tell the difference.  Alicia at my neighborhood store instructed me to rub the surface with some denatured alcohol.  If the paint came off, it was latex.  Oil based would remain in tact.  I phoned up the True Value store just down the street and within 10 minutes, I was back with the alcohol.  The good news is that the paint is latex!  Yippee!  Now, how am I going to use the other 99.9% of the can?  Well, quite by accident, I discovered that the denatured alcohol would remove most of the stain that got to places it shouldn't!

If there's time after dinner, I'll run over to the SW and pick up the paint.