It’s like a free dinner

A couple of weeks ago, we had chicken and dumplings for dinner.  After everyone was full, there was still quite a bit left in the pot - mostly chicken and vegetables with a few dumplings and not much sauce.  Usually, I just toss what’s left since chicken and dumplings don’t heat up well.  This time, 5ere was just too much chicken left.  

My idea was to freeze it in a pie plate and later add a crust to make a chicken pot pie.  Since there are only two of us, a whole pie would have been more than we could eat.  I pulled a pie crust disk from the freezer and rolled it into an oblong shape. Leaving some extra flour on the crust would help with any  weeping from the frozen filing.  I cut the frozen “pie” filling in half and place it in the pan brining the single crust over the top and sealing.  I had made half a pie.

When it went into the oven, it was almost thawed but still icy inside so I set the oven for 350 and put it in without pre-heating.  My pie baked for about an hour and a half, checking frequently after an hour to ensure that it did not burn and that the internal temp was 165 or higher (it reached over 200).  The pie did weep in the early stages of cooking so I drained the excess liquid off once.  

I served this with a chicken sauce made from canned chicken broth, salt and pepper with a tablespoon of cornstarch for thickening.

Notes:  i was concerned if this would turn out well, but it was delicious and a very frugal way to stretch leftovers.  Next time, I will probably take the dumplings out before freezing the fillings.  It’s an unexpected texture that you just don’t need.

I didn’t get a picture of the finished product.  After smelling it in the oven that long, we were focused on getting a taste!

Another Successful Pressure Cooker Meal

I bought some stew meat at BJs during a trip over there Saturday.  Today, I researched a beef stew recipe and used it s a guideline for cooking in the pressure cooker.  I essentially used my normal recipe and just adjusted the times for the new cooker.  I browned my met using the sauté function until it began to look a little brown -I also added some kitchen bouquet because you simply cannot get it brown in a high sided pan.

I changed the setting to pressure cook and set the timer for thirty minutes and cooked the meat along with half an onion (chopped), seasonings and a bay leaf.  I allowed the cooker to release pressure naturally for five minutes then released the rest.  I added one cup of baby carrots and 2 pounds of potatoes (peeled and cut in generous one inch pieces).  I had read that 3 minutes on another recipe but decided on 6 minutes pressure.  I did add enough water to just barely cover along with the other half of the onion cut in large pieces and two tablespoons of tomato paste.

I tried the five minute pressure release again and then returned the pot to sauté and added a cornstarch slurry to thicken.  Next time, I will immediately turn off the pot after it comes to a boil because the potatoes were a little soft.  Otherwise, it was excellent.  No pictures this time, we were hungry!

Maybe I’m a little Weird

I keep thinking about recipes I want to try.  For example, I’m wanting to create a chicken enchilada soup .. and a chicken tortilla soup.  I also want to cook a pot of vegetable beef soup with barley.  Then, there are the Pinterest recipes I’ve pinned.  The problem I’m having is that there aren’t enough days.  Red beans and rice, black eyed peas, shredded chicken.  I could go on for hours.

Ever since before Thanksgiving, I’ve had this issue.  For the Friday after Thanksgiving we made a pizza at home and planned to eat leftovers the following day.  Unfortunately, our schedule got scrambled and we ended up eating out Saturday and having those leftovers Sunday evening.  Monday comes along and I have a networking group to attend, take out subs is what we eat.  Tonight, I made BLTs and a small pot of potato soup (I had a surplus of tomatoes that I didn’t want to go bad).  Tomorrow, dinner will be some tortellini and sauce I have “leftover” (from a family sized pack) in the freezer.  Wednesday we will eat some smoked pork chops from the freezer along with a box of Mac and cheese and maybe, if they’re still good, some fresh Brussels sprouts.

My problem is that I’m trying to be frugal.  First priority is not letting food go to waste, second priority is eating out of our kitchen freezer.  It is way too full.  I guess we’re blessed to have these things but I really want to try out my new pressure cooker again and try some recipes I have in my head.  I’ll just put my patience hat back on for a few more days.

Nothing says “Thanksgiving” like Pumpkin Pie

It’s a tradition in my house, I make pumpkin pie from scratch.  In the early years, I always doubled the spices but as our digestive systems have matured, now I just stick to the recipe.  Some years, I make my own pie crust and I have, on occasion, made fancy crusts trims and decorations.  This year, I’m keeping it simple.  I used the recipe on the back of the Libby’s can of pumpkin.  Shorting the milk just enough (two ounces)to make it fit in a deep dish crust.

Pumpkin pie is really easy to put together.  I add the milk last and you have to stir it a bit to get it mixed in well.  I usually use a whisk to speed up the process.  Place you pie crust on a baking sheet before adding the filling then carefully place it in the oven.

 

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for 50 minutes.  Sometimes you need to add another 5 or 10 minutes to set the custard.  A knife placed halfway between the crust and center should come out clean.

Quick Cooking

For almost a year, I’ve been thinking about getting an InstaPot - or another brand - to speed up meal preparation.  At first I thought this would be helpful when I went back to work full time but when that didn’t happen, I put it on hold.  The cost was also an issue with InstaPots being in the $100 price range. 

I hated to spend that kind of money on something I really wasn’t sure I would like or use enough to be worth it.  I had a stove top pressure cooker years ago so I am familiar with the benefits.  

A couple of days ago, I saw a Bella brand electric pressure cooker on sale at BJs Wholesale.  The regular price was $79.99 for the 8 quart size (the big one).  They were advertising this for $49.99 after a clipless coupon.  I had thought that it was a Black Friday only deal but it was already on sale and available in store.  DH and I headed out there Sunday and picked one up. 

 

This cooker can cook rice (like a rice cooker), can operate as a slow cooker, and a pressure cooker.  It also has a sauté option so any pre-browning is done in the same pot.  The cooking bowl is non-stick, removable and dishwasher safe.  

Tonight,  I put it to use.  First, I made a pot of rice.  I think for my tastes, I will use a little more water so the rice is a little more tender next time.  Of course, this is a personal preference.  I made Mongolian Beef from a Pinterest recipe as the main course.  The only complaint was that I couldn’t get the cooker to return to sauté after pressure.cooking to thicken the sauce.  I had my wok out to make broccoli so I just poured it in the wok and thickened it quickly.

Later, I tested it and I was able to use sauté so I think it was just a fluke or user error.

Dinner was delicious.

Saturday Outings

My Dear Hubby and I are working towards starting a small business in the new year.  As a way to get some early name recognition, we have been going to events and locations over the past two months taking pictures and posting them on line.  It gets examples of our photography out into the public eye, puts the company name out there and give us practice in many aspects of photography.  (We both worked as professional photographers years ago in weddings, portraits, aerials and real estate.)

Today’s adventure was taking pictures of a hometown Veterans Day celebration complete with a parade, ceremonies and dignitaries.  We have both video and still photographs of the event that we re working with now to develop something to post.  As the events wrapped up, we stopped in to a local sandwich shop on the square for some lunch.  While we nourished ourselves, the cameras rested.

Everyday Purse

I’ve been carrying a Miche purse for several years now.  I really like it when I was working because I could quickly change the style/color of my purse to match what I was wearing.  It was also easy to carry into work and put it away for the day, then carry it home.  In my new daily schedule, this simply wasn’t working.  The short handles required that I either carry it in my hand or under my armpit which caused discomfort in my shoulder.  It was also difficult to put it in the car when I had a passenger.

I also had issues “loosing” my debit card.  It would fall out of my purse organizer if my purse fell over - usually in the car.  After the third “lost card incident,” I decided that I needed a change.  I was looking for a wallet that would be small but still hold multiple cards securely.  Ideally, I wanted a wallet that would fold over on the cards so they couldn’t fall out.  

I checked at Target but couldn’t find a wallet that would fit the bill.  Then we stopped at Walmart, bingo!  I found an inexpensive wallet that met my criteria for less than $8.  I also checked their purse selection and found something that would work.  It has an adjustable strop that allows it to be used as a shoulder bag OR a crossbody bag.  It has an outside pocket large enough to hold my cell phone and allow easy access.  Two outside zippers hold personal items you don’t want people looking at.  It was $12 and change.  Neither the wallet nor the purse will last for years like the Miche bag but it’s serviceable for everyday use this winter.

Recipe Challenge: 23/26

I challenged myself with goals for 2017. One of these goals was to try 26 new recipes during the year.  I figured that one new recipe every other week would be enough variation without be unrelenting.

The latest recipe was an Apple Pancake recipe I found on Pinterest.  Overall, it was good.  I think next time, I will increase the butter slightly and add just a pinch of baking power to give just a little lift to the pancake as it was a little dense.

Throughout the year, I’ve tried a variety of recipes but perhaps my most favorite was an Alton Brown recipe for guacamole.  Absolutely fabulous!  I’ve tried soups, firecracker chicken, sesame noodles, and many others.  Now, with seven weeks left in the year and only three new recipes, I’m wondering what I should focus on.  One definitely needs to be Holiday oriented.  I’m thinking about “creating” a chicken enchilada soup to mimic the chicken enchiladas, it is soup season after all.

Smoked!

Two to four times a year, I venture across town to a great little meat market that’s famous for its fresh and smoked meats.  About this time of the year, we start thinking about holiday get togethers.  Today was the day.

It was my first day off in almost two weeks so I headed over to pick up some meat.  Unfortunately, they were entirely out of bacon so I focused on what they did have.

I purchased two pounds of mild Italian sausages.  I have removed the casings and have them pre-freezing.  I will vacuum seal once they are firm.  I also bought almost two pounds of Alpine salami (similar to a summer sausage).  I had them slice it thin and prepared two packages of the slices with 16 slices per sheet and 48 slices in one pack and 30 slices in the other.  I can pull out a single sheet or thaw the whole pack as needed. 

Finally, I bought two pounds of double smoked beef sausage.  I used about 3/4pound in some stuffed bell peppers for dinner.  I will cube the other 1/4pound to be used in a casserole or soup.  The other pound was vacuum sealed and ready for the freezer.

I need to stop by the dollar store tomorrow for some trays for my freezer.

Perseverance

After an additional six weeks of hand quilting, this beauty is residing on our bed - keeping us warm and brightening up the room.  It reminds me that seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished by simply it taking it one step at a time.

I found this quilt on a Facebook group and fell in love with its beauty and simplicity.  I ordered the book that contained the pattern/instructions and proceeded to make a plan.  It was definitely a stretch to my quilting skills.  I systematically created patterns and graphs to crete the panels.   After I created four or five squares, I decided that 16 squares would be “too much red” and overwhelming.  I reduced it to 9 squares, elimated the red triangles and altered the border to accommodate the revised design.

It took five months to create the flimsy and three months to do the initial hand quilting.  After looking at it for a while, I decided it needed some additional quilting but I didn’t like the original design.  I created a cardboard pattern and put additional circular quilting around the squares.  I added vertical lines on the outer borders three inches apart.  Now, it has enough quilting not to pucker.

I took the plunge and put it in the washer last week.  I was fearful that it would run but it did not.  For now, it is keeping us warm at night and proving beauty during the day. (At lest until I create a new one!)

Gaining an hour?

Today, we “fell back”an hour and ended daylight saving time.  I’ve never understood why we continue this silly tradition.  We don’t actually gain an hour of daylight unless somehow the earth is spinning faster or slower.  I used to really hate daylight saving time when the kids were little.  All I wanted was to get them into bed as soon as possible after dinner but when the sun stays out til 9pm, that is very difficult.

Why don’t we stop this foolishness?  I read an article earlier this week that said only the grill and charcoal industries benefited from the extra summertime daylight.  About the only good thing I can say about daylight saving time is that the little kids can trick or treat at twilight instead of total darkness.

Whew! What a week.

Ever since I’ve been working my part time gig as a Retail Merchandiser for Hallmark I’ve had somewhere between 8-15 hours a week if I volunteered for extra work.  This past week, Hallmark had allotted 31 hours for me to cover my three stores.  I didn’t have quite the number of hours at one store since I had help there.  The second store was operating on a deficit since I received help in it the week before.  My third store had the full 13 hours.

I volunteered to help at two other stores Friday to pick up a couple of extra hours so I wasn’t able to make my full time in my own stores.  I am carrying over three hours in my Publix and one hour in my Kroger store this coming week.  Even so, I worked 25.5 hours total this week in a very physicalmoving heavy boxes, building displays, etc.  it’s not quite like working 40 hours behind a desk and I was feeling it by 4Friday afternoon.

Saturday’s weather was pleasant enough but the sun never really did more than peak out between the clouds and we had rain by 4:30.  No photos were taken today but we met a woman and purchased a used camera body and lens from her.  New, it would have been about $900 for the body and (maybe) $150 for the lens.  It’s in excellent condition and we got a great deal.

We’ve been trying to purchase a lot of our equipment for our new business venture ahead of time and, when possible, used to save money.  

Tomorrow, we have a small photo project.  We also need to make a trip to Home Depot to pick up supplies for a house project we need to finish this week.  Some odds and ends will likely round out the day.

Apples to Applesauce to Apple Butter

We planned to go to the Apple Festival this year but circumstances dictated otherwise.  I did acquire some apples and made applesauce for the person who gave me the apples.  With the apples left over, I made three pints and 12 half pints of applesauce.  With about five cups of the apple sauce I put it in the crockpot along with sugar and cinnamon to make apple butter.  I couldn’t find any half pint jars since I had used them all on the applesauce.  I did find some four ounce jelly jars so I canned eight of those with fresh, homemade apple butter.  

I’m looking forward to enjoying this over the winter,

The Holidays are Here!

That’s my husband’s thought - as soon as Halloween is over, the holiday season begins!  In some ways I agree.  I’ve been putting out Christmas cards for a week now and have so many left it seems unfathomable that they can all sell before Christmas.  Some days I come home covered in glitter from the cards. I’m working EVERY day this week which is really unusual.

I feel like I’m on top of things, I pulled down the Halloween decorations this afternoon.  After dinner tomorrow, I will put out some fall/Thanksgiving decorations.  Part of the holiday season for me is stocking up on pantry and baking items.  All this year I have been using items in my pantry and freezer and culling out old items.  It was time to start building it back up.  So far, I’ve added to my canned goods (tomato products, green beans).  Tonight I stocked up on beef and chicken broth, canned corn and pasta - 10 each at th  Kroger Mega Event.  I spent $36 and saved $40.  I still need to add some kidney beans, beets, carrots, etc.  Additionally, I have stocked up on ground beef (Sam’s club) and chicken breasts (Zaycon).  We have a supply of red snapper in the freezer from a summer fishing trip.  I’m planning a trip to the sausage store next week on my day off.

As soon as this week is over, I will start working on Christmas gifts that I am making.  I have three things completed and three smaller items to work on. I will probably put my tree up before Thanksgiving since I will be working Black Friday.  Still thinking about this.

Progress against goals for 2017

With only two months left in year, I thought it was time to review some of my 2017goals.  

Read 12-24 books.  I am currently reading my 18th book.  Not sure if I’ll make 24 but I consider this goal met.

Try 26 recipes.  I’ve tried 22 recipes so far.  I have one soup recipe “pinned” and anticipate trying at least one new cookie recipe during the holidays.  I’m fairly sure I will be meeting this goal.  In fact, my plan is to make an Apple Pancake as part of dinner one night this week.

Under my sewing/crafting goals, I have completed 10 of 14 items.  One item has been moved to 2018 - a green and cream Triple Irish Chain Quilt.  I knew I did not have the time or money to finish this in 2017.  I will start on it in January.  I probably won’t get to the “scrappy” quilt or the Farm Girl Vintage pillow shams.  I am currently working on a EPP (English Paper Piecing) star quilt.  The rope is done.  I just need to get a piece of fabric large enough for the back, piece some batting together and half quilt over the holidays.

I made a goal of purging (donating, destroying, etc.) 104 items.  I have totally exceeded in this goal.  I have removed 172 items plus I still have a large bag of items and three computers with all the accessories.  Score!

Some of the household and financial goals will not be met.  I had anticipated having a job by now so I don’t have the financial resources to make that happen.  I have been working on restocking my pantry and freezer for the winter instead.

I will be making goals for 2018 as this has worked really well to keep me on track this year.

An odd but otherwise successful weekend!

We had big plans this weekend to take pictures at several locations.  We had received both cameras back from repair this week and a new lens we ordered can in as well.  As it turned out, we could take no new pictures because it rained all day Saturday and Sunday stayed cloudy, windy and cold all day.

To keep from loosing a weekend, we turned our attention to other things.  First, we completed our first pass at our website.  One single splash screen with some preliminary pictures and verbiage.  It still needs some tweaking - I don’t think the logo is big enough and we need better -and more -pictures.  We will revisit this in a week or so.

Sunday while we were stuck inside, DH was able to finally get all three old desktop computers reformatted.  One is not working because it does t have n operating system but the other two could be used.  I have contacted a charitable organization and I am waiting to hear back from them.  This is quite an accomplishment.  We have been talking about this all year but never got enough of it done to get rid of anything.  That means that I have three desktops, a monitor, two keyboards and some cords that can go. Leave the house.  (I will add those items to my total number of items given away, donated or disposed of this year.  My goal was 104 for the year and I am already over 170 without the computers and thing bag of things ready to go.

I made a delicious bowl of guacamole Friday night and we enjoyed dinner and drinks at home.  For lunch Saturday, we stopped by McAllisters deli.  Using a $5coupon for my birthday, we save a little money and enjoyed a nice lunch.  DH picked up a small tripod at Best Buy for $8 thanks to a sale and a coupon/credit.  

Sunday, I made a BIG pot of vegetable beef soup from a container of soup beef I found in the freezer.  It will cover at least two full meals and maybe a lunch.  Dessert tonight’s gut is a cherry pastry that was half price at Publix.

This is going to be a very VERY busy week for me.

Finally!

Through a series of events, I was disrupted in my attempts to post every day in October.  To make a Long story short, I upgraded my iPad and in doing so, the iOS was also upgraded meaning that the app I was using to post to Blogger would not work on the new iOS.  I finally got a new app loaded today, problems with signing on and all the related difficulties finally resolved.

I’m back.  It will take me. Couple of days to get used to this new application.  I will post sporadically through the end of October then tempt to do the everyday posting in November.

Just a quick update, I sweet talked a local restaurant manager into giving me a guacamole bowl last weekend.  I had tried to find one and also to order one but lol I could find was heavy stone bowls and I did not want that.  Tonight was my first opportunity to make homemade  guacamole.  It was excellent.  Some simple beef burritos rounded out our meal with a fresh margarita to drink.  Yum!

Gb

Tuesday, October 18th

I had a huge "to do" list for today and I just kept working at it all day.  Some things included mowing the grass and blowing off the driveway.  I also trimmed two limbs.  I washed FIVE loads of laundry - I'm still working on getting that put away.  

I returned some bad meat and stocked up on some staple items at Walmart while I was in the area making a deposit at the credit union.  I transferred money to pay my car payment ahead of the due date.

I also found and applied to two jobs.  

Monday, October 17

I missed yesterday's post - it was my birthday and I took the day off!  As for today, I'm in for a quick moment to set up the day.  I'm running later getting out of the house to work.   After getting up at 6:00, I decided to lay back down for 30 minutes.  I didn't go to sleep but in the extra 15 minutes I gave myself, not only did I go to sleep but dreamed that I slept the whole day.  What a way to start.

I'm off now to work.  Lots to do around the house as well.

I spent a total of five hours working then I had to stop at the bank on the way home.  Somehow, this took up all the day.  By the time I got home, I had time to go through the mail, submit my commute time and check my emails.  

I had a fail today.  I bought a package of Tenderoin steaks at BJs yesterday (Sunday) with the intention of cooking them Sunday for dinner.  As it turned out, they didn't get cooked Sunday.  I thought this was ok since the package said to sell by 10/18.  When I opened the package this evening, I salted the first side and flipped the first steak over to salt the other side.  Oh my!  Not only was the steak severely browning but it had a smell that was just a little stronger than I could tolerate.  I wrapped it quickly up and stuck it back in the fridge.  Off I went to Publix to pick up a couple of steaks.  I ended up getting one 10 oz tenderloin and two sirlions.  I halved the tenderloin and we had that for dinner.  The sirlions were cooked on the gr I'll and cut in bite sized pieces for soup.  (I will make one batch for Wednesday night and put the other half in the freezer for a later date.)

Saturday, October 14th

IAfter breakfast, DH and I watched most of two baseball games.  One is four year old t-ball which is really comical to watch.  We had a nice, quiet lunch at Boston Market (a different place for us).

Then, we headed over to Chalkfest in Marietta Square but traffic was bad, no where to park and people everywhere.  We wanted to take pictures but we knew it would be impossible with so many people so we just left.  We are going to try again tomorrow.

Next we went to Frys to see a camera their website said they had.  30 minutes there, and thirty minutes home only to find out that no one knows where the camera is.  Great!!!  What a waste of time and effort.  We even stopped by Target on the way home and they didn't have what we wanted either.

It was begging to feel like nothing was working.  It seems like more and more stores are claiming to sell something when what they really mean is that you can order it from them and they will find and ship it to you.  Very deceptive advertising if you ask me.  Before long, Amazon is going to supply everything that's ship able.

We made a quick u-turn and had dinner at a little BBQ place we like but don't get to visit much.  Dinner was very good and hit the spot.  We decided to enjoy a movie at home instead of going out to the movies.  I like the flexibility to stop it or rewind it if we need to.

I updated my phone and set up an iPad mini for my use.  Unfortunately, the Blogger app does not work with the new iOS.  For now, I will be using the old iPad for blog updates until I get that situation resolved.

Friday, October 13th

Just a quick pop in before I head out to work.  On the agenda today is work, and home.  We have a family member in the hospital and our plans could be adjusted if developments occur.

Thursday, October 12th

Today started early.  I had committed to be at a installation at 8am or before.  (They started at 5am.). I got there at 7:30 - not too bad.  We worked straight through until 12:30 when we finished.  It seemed a little rushed.  Apparently, there was some sort of mis-communication and it started everything for the day in a tizzy.  By the time I got there, all the shelves and pockets were done and ready for new cards. That's the way I like it.  I dislike setting those new pocket dividers the most.  12:30 wasn't too late so I stopped on the way home and picked up a sandwich.

While we were there, we talked a little bit about more hours.  I'd really like some more hours but I am concerned now that we're changing to a four time a week frequency.  For the next few weeks, I will have 6.5 to 13 weeks per store.  With four visits, averages out to somewhere between an hour and a half to four hours per visit.  That might be as much as I can do and still get other things done - I do spend 45 minutes to an hour commuting.  As far as extra hours, there doesn't seem to be any more installation for a while but one lady who was a helper at a Walmart store quit today.  I could pick up a day there if I was so inclined but it's in a different direction so it would mean even more time commuting and more gas money.  They only way it would work is if I could do it and change that time/gas as an account-to-account travel.  With that, I get paid for the time and reimbursed for the miles.

After eating, I found that I was very tired and sleepy.  I decided to take a 15 minute nap that turned into a 30 minute nap because I was SO tired.  I finally had to make myself get up and start cleaning up and getting ready for dinner.  I just need to cook the meat, make the tea and cut up some olives.  We usually eat about 6:30 on Thursdays when the kids come over.

I was able to get the rest of the contact cards entered into a spreadsheet this afternoon.  One more task done.  

I was reading on LinkedIn some interesting comments about ageism and job seekers.  It's the first time I've seen a real conversion about how prevalent the problem is.  I think I get. It out of consideration for many jobs because they can tell how old I am and there's really no good fit out there for what I did (job title mismatch).  I'm applying for Administrative Assistant positions because that is the best fit to what I did and the skills I have but I don't have a previous job with that job title so my resume gets discarded. When you com one that with the on line application - everyone is doing that now - they come right t and ask for your birthdate.  That shouldn't be allowed because what they're doing is seeking you age and that is an illegal interviewing question.  There's a serious issue with older workers being displaced from the workforce.  One commenter on LinkedIn went so far as to say, .."don't lose your job after 40."  Yea, right.  Some workers don't have a choice and they ones who make a decision to leave (like me) sometimes feel like it's not really a decision.

My plan for this evening is to work some more on my quilting,  I am getting very close.  I have almost all of the top quilting done and just one side of the outermost border to do.  I may even finish this by Sunday evening.

Tomorrow, I work at my two grocery stores. Probably about five hours total.  After that, I am supposed to pick up the little boys from school then cook us a homemade pizza for dinner.  I think there will be a beer or cocktails with that!  I'm also planning to visit a nearby dollar store to look for some bins/baskets to use in my freezer.  The plastic packages slide around too much and being able to organize like items together in the freezer should help in keeping things rotated.  

Next week, I will be going to the sausage store to stock up on a few things there.  I'm thinking some pepper bacon for the freezer, summer sausage for fall and winter holiday snacking, Italian sausages, beef sausages, Canadian bacon, mustard, etc.  I need to make a list and. He k out their website again.

Wednesday, October 11th

Being a day off from work, I had a fairly long "to do" list.  I didn't get everything done but I did get some of the more important things accomplished.  Our business cards are ordered - and I used a coupon code saving us $11 (about 33%).  I was also able to get our GoPro camera shipped off for warranty repairs.  

I located a provider for a free flu shot for DH.  Now, I just need to get him over there.  Of course, that whole process took almost 30 minutes to search on line then make a phone call to the insurance company.  I filled a prescription for a drug that was not covered under our insurance but it looks like they have a negotiated discount on it which brought the price under the lowest GoodRX price.  We have one more prescription for a drug that is also not covered.  The retail cost of it for a 30 day supply is over $1800.  Good RX is $600.  We have a out of town pharmacy offering it for $135 if we don't go through the insurance.  There is a coupon/promotional code for it that I am going to check out.  If we can get it down to $75, we might try it.

I went through some paperwork and found a check for $45 from our electric company.  I thought I had already deposited this but I guess I mistook something else for it.  Always great to find money.  

I also had a discussion with my supervisor today that clarified a few things for me regarding my schedule and available hours.  I have already lost some hours from September but now I have a better handle on the "rules" going forward.  As a result, I probably have about 5 hours work tomorrow combined from both stores.  Next week, I'm up to over 6 hours at each store - getting better but still not enough.

I'm just finishing up a book (at about 80%) that is set in the mid-1600s and follows a religious family from England to America.  It has been a good one and will get a good review on Amazon when I'm finished.  Additionally, I am still working on hand quilting my applique quilt.  Hope to be done by the end of next week.

Tuesday, October 10th

I was a bit undecided about working today or tomorrow at my department store.  I finally decided that I would work tomorrow then take Wednesday as my "off day" to break up the week.  I like to be at this store at 9am when they open but I'm running a bit late today and won't make it until 9:30.  I have 4 hours and 18 minutes scheduled at this store today.  I'm taking a banana and a bag of almonds in case I decide to work straight through (most efficient situation).  Taking a a lunch break is awkward at this store because you must put everything away and sign out when you leave the store.  

I'm off, back later with an update.

Well, work turned out to be a bust.  I had one box of gift bags but no cards.  It took about an hour and a half to get that out and straighten the existing cards.  I could not get the boxed cards out because there was no cardboard display.  When I messaged my supervisor, it was ultimately decided that we (she and I) would re-set the EOA (end of aisles) and put our Christmas merchandise together in two weeks.  As a result, I essentially lost three hours of work today and the store will be without these products for two weeks.  I'm not entirely sure I understand the logic behind this.  

On to other things, I created a long to do list for today and tomorrow and I am slowly but surely working my way down it.  Right now, I'm working on some hand quilting.  I have about four more feet before I will need to mark some more quilting lines.  I hope to be done with this by the end of next week, if not before.

I stopped by Sam's today and purchased a package (5+ pounds) of 90% ground beef.  I packaged it into five packages of beef for the freezer, each about 12 ounces.  From the other pound, I made some Italian meatballs (18).  We ate 8 for dinner and the remaining 10 will go in the freezer.  A few will be used to make pizza this weekend.  I am working on stocking my freezer with ground beef.  I should have one more opportunity to purchase ground beef before my membership expires.  

Tomorrow night, I will be making a small container of baked macaroni and cheese.  I will add some bacon and some vegetables to create a "vegetable dinner."  Thursday we will have tacos!

Monday, October 9th

Just a quick opening paragraph to this post before I head out to work.  This week will primarily focus on work as I have four days scheduled on and just Wednesday secheduled to be "off."  I am still struggling to regularly get as many hours as states in my hiring document.  Some weeks I do and some I don't.  I find that I have to take on additional work or projects just to come close.  It would be extremely helpful to have some advance information about planned hours but usually that comes only a week or two ahead of time.  For now, I just deal with it the best I can.  

I'm off to work now and will update later this afternoon or evening on events of the day, challenges, successes and frugality.

Now, the update.  Work was really busy and it turned out to be a very long day.  I works three hours (out of 5 hours and 20 minutes for the week) at the first store and then nearly four hours (again out of 5 hours and 20 minutes) at the second store.  At that second store, I had three boxes of product when I arrived (which I put away) then realized that another eight (8) boxes arrived while I was there.  I pulled two boxes and out most of it away before I left except for one tray.  My plan is to put our that tray of product and then at least two more boxes Friday.  I will just keep working on it until it is all out out.  My supervisor would probably prefer that I ask for help but my priority is to get all of my hours over the next couple of weeks.  If I can't get through it by the end of next week, I will ask for help.

Initially, my plan was to work at my third store tomorrow but I've just about decided to wait until Wednesday.  Nearly 8 hours on my feet today and lifting box after box has left me really tired.  If I'm feeling more energetic in the morning, I may change my mind.  (DD is taking her older dog to the vet torrid to be euthanized.  He's over 8 years old with numerous tumors that are growing too large.id like to be available to help her if she needs it.)

We did get our landline phone hooked up this evening.  AT&Thad told me that they were sending a phone but that was not true.  We had to go out and buy a phone this evening.  

Rainy Sunday, October 8th

Today, it rained.  All day.

We knew upfront that it was going to be an inside day and our activities revolved around inside things. First priority was to get some home chores done: laundry, dishes, garbage, etc.  The week always goes better if you start it with your clothes clean and ready to go.  

We went out for a little while to get a bite to eat, return our Redbox movie and pick up some celery from the grocery store.  For lunch, we split a quesadilla and had some cheese dip.  Water to drink kept our price low.  

On the way home, we stopped at the Walmart Market.  I returned the Redbox no picked up a package of celery, tube of biscuits, tobacco sauce and a few bananas.  Back at home, I put two chicken breasts in a pot to boil.  After they were done, I added some chopped carrots, celery and onions.  A little chicken broth and the meal cooking.  Chicken and dumplings for dinner on. Sunday night.  Yippee.

We were able to do the final revisions on the business cards for our new venture.  As soon as we can verify our new phone number (should happen tomorrow when our phone and instructions for self install arrive tomorrow), we can push the button and get those cards ordered.  Right now, we're just focusing on getting prepared, getting equipment purchased and set up, and working on name recognition.

This coming week will be a busy one for me - work wise.  I will be working Monday and Friday at my two main stores (total of 10 hours and 40 minutes), Tuesday I work at my "department store" for five hours and then on Thursday, I have volunteered to work at an installation/reset.  Wednesday will be my only day off.  I expect that I will be receiving a lot of new product and I will be able to fill all the hours.

We continue to work on getting the first desktop computer cleaned off so we can donate it.  It's taking much longer than anticipated but we will push on.

Saturday in the Park, October 7th

We started the day out with breakfast at our favorite neighborhood eatery.  Then we came home and waited a while until it was time for a quick lunch (CFA) and heading for the ball field.  Both boys played today in subsequent games.  Mostly it was comfortable except for when the sun was shining hard on us.

After the games, we headed across town to meet a guy.  We have been interested in buying an Apple iPad Mini 4 but they have been unavailable.  We found a guy who had one he wanted to sell.  Only a couple of months old and $100 less than new.  What a deal.  We met him and checked it out thoroughly.  (Hurray for CFA's free wi-if and accessible electrical outlets.  We felt perfectly safe making the transaction in the store.). DH and I had a small ice cream while we waited.

Next up, we headed back home to load all the apps on the mini and fully charge it.

Our plan was to make pizza at home tonight but we decided to run back out and find a protective cover for the mini and grab a bite to eat while we were out.  I choose Ted's for dinner - we usually just have a burger and tonight we drank water and had no appetizers or drinks.  Using a $5 coupon, our dinner was under $20 before tip.  Another deal for this day.

Our final deal was a Redbox rental for .27!!

Tomorrow will likely be an inside day.  We are expecting rain from the hurricane/tropical storm that is due to come in.  I need to get a "to do" list for tomorrow to include work in the pantry, meal planning, laundry, and web development.  A busy day to be sure.

TGIF, October 6th

After a couple of doctors/medical appointments this morning, I have a couple of errands to run.  Then, back home.  I started some deep cleaning I the kitchen yesterday so I will be finishing that project today.

My next major task is to apply for some jobs today.  I was going to do this Wednesday but it neve happened.  My goal today is to apply for a minimum of three jobs, maybe more.

Evening Update: So, here's how the day went.  I was able to make both of my medical appointments so that's done and I got a flu shot as well.  DH was in the area so I met him for a quick lunch and then stopped by the credit union to withdraw some cash.  

I finished up my errands by stopping by the grocery store.  I needed some jalapeño peppers and tortillas for dinner but I decided to buy some of the sale items while I was there.  Most excitedly was a relatively new line of store branded tomatoes.  At .49 per can, I purchased 15-18 cans of diced tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes, tomatoes with chiles and no salt tomatoes.  (This price is a minimum of .20 below the lowest price I've found for tomato products lately.  The cashier asked what I was making and I told her honestly that I was stocking up for winter and that we ate a lot of soups.  I also purchased 6 jars of spaghetti sauce and four pounds of pasta.  I got a couple of cans of the Publix brand green beans and a couple of cans of kidney beans.  My plan is to stock up on canned goods that we eat most often for fall and winter seasons and into 2018.  Publix also had Dunkin Donuts k cups on sale so I bought two boxes.  I would like to transition to the reusable Kcups at least twice a week to save a little money.  Alternatively, Walmart sells a Great Value breakfast blend product that is pretty good.  

Overall, I'm transitioning back to sale/stockpile driven grocery purchases.  I have been buying need or want based for the last year which is not as budget friendly.  I'm developing a list of items I need to stock up on.  

When I arrived home, I mowed the yard and trimmed some of the edging.  It was quite warm today so my outside work was limited.  Inside, I washed and dried a load of dark clothes.  Dinner was chicken fajitas, fresh homemade guacamole and margaritas - all at home.  Cost to eat out would have been about $45 even with sharing the fajitas.  My cost was less than $10 plus the cost of the alcohol and mixer I already had on hand.

The three little boys came over after dinner for a couple of hours until their Dad could pick them up.  It was loud and busy but we had fun.  They colored and watched me quilt a little.  

Thursday, October 5th

Today was a work day.  I visited my two stores but one received no new merchandise.  In an effort to be customer centric, I suggested/offered to make an extra trip tomorrow to see if merchandise arrived and get it displayed.  Unfortunately, this offer was rejected.  I'm still trying to figure all this out.  I am beginning to see some things that are inconsistent with how I would prefer to operate.

After work, I stopped at Sprouts and picked up some avacados, bell peppers, a couple of tomatoes, cilantro and a few items to add crunch to my salad.  (Less than $20.). We had a nice salad for dinner even without any meat.  I boiled a couple of eggs and added some cheese.  I toasted a sub bun to have with our salad since I had no canned biscuits and had not purchased any specialty bread to go with the salad. 

Tonight, I'm hand quilting on my applique quilt.  I "finished" this quilt a few months ago but decided that it needed some additional quilting.  I created my own customized template around the center applique patterns and added some vertical three inch lines on the outermost border.  I would estimate that I am about half done with the additional quilting and hope to have this complete before the end of October.  If so, I will display it on my bed during December and January.

I have finished two hand embroidered (monogrammed) pillowcases for the oldest grandchildren (11 year old twin girls).  My idea is that they have the option of using them now or keeping them for their later years.

As far as projects go, we have at least three desktop computers which need to be cleaned and wiped so they can be given away.  I was working on deleting data files on the first one today.  I need to copy a few files then turn it over to DH to wipe it.  Again, I hope to get this project finished by the end of October.

I have a couple of doctors appointments tomorrow morning.  After than, I will run by the grocery store to pick up a few things to get the week started.  I'm going to start letting the sales drive our menu again.  There are a few items I need to stock up on:  kidney beans (great for soups and chilis), canned tomatoes, canned green beans, etc.  

In my 2017 goals was the goal of trying 26 new recipes this year (one every other week).  I'm closing in on that goals and have just a few more.  I've met my minimum goals of reading 12 books this year and working towards the upper end goal.

DH has pulled a large bag of clothing items from his closet that need to be donated.  I will need to go thorough that and inventory so we can take the tax deduction.  I recently gave away a baby item to a new grandmother.  I had tried to see it with no luck.

Wednesday, October 4

Today is a day off for me.  A full day off.  I have a list of errands and tasks to do along with the regular things it takes to keep a house on target.

Right now, I have the dishwasher running and I will be starting the washer before I head out on errands.  I have three or four calls to make including one to AT&T.  (One of the companies I really hate to call.). I tried talking to them yesterday but got nowhere.

I'm still a bit confused about my work schedule after the next few weeks.  I can't seem to get an clean answer as to how many store visits I will need to make,  how my hours will change, etc.  what I have decided is that I am working too fast, too efficiently.  I need to slow down and take more time at my stores.  I keep hearing other RMs talking about not having enough time.  (I've been able to get my work done in the time allowed but I may be lacking in some of the details and I need to focus on that.)

Today's post will be updated later in the day as I make progress against my "to do" list.

Tuesday, October 3rd

In my attempt to post every day in October, I'm back this morning with some thoughts on today's activities and plans.

I'm focusing on saving money this month and cutting expenses.  My first effort was changing the cabin air filter in my car.  It's less than a year old but has a bit of a musty smell when the ac first comes on.  I called the dealership and they charge $60 for the new filter and installation.  After watching a YouTube video, I thought it was worth a try.  The filter was on sale at the NAPA store for $10 and change.  It was a little more difficult to do than the video implied but mainly because some clips were difficult to find and it was awkward to get to them.  I guess it took about 30-45 minutes but I did get it done and put back together.  I saved $50 just by spending my time.

I found a auto service manual we purchased for a car we no longer have.  I put it up for sale and sold it less than 24 hours later.  I will mail that off today.  I made $25 for little or no effort.  The buyer is paying the postage as well.  I have a dozen items posted for sale but I have had no luck selling them.  (One baby item is going to be given away this week to a new grandmother.). I will make a new push on these items to see if I can sell. I also have two electric vests for BMW motorcycles which DH says will sell.  My goal is to get those posted this week.

Today, I have a luncheon with my co workers.  I guess that means a free lunch and maybe an hour or two of pay.  I will update on that later.  My format for these blog posts it to create a post early in the day with plans and goals then update in the afternoon if anything significantly changes.  

One of the things I need to do today is to find out how much it would cost to install a landline in our house.  We have discovered that we can cut our cell bill by over $100 a month by switching carriers.  It will limit us to two phones so we will be giving up cell service on our iPad and we needed to find a solution to the third line we need to add.  I think the home phone option will do the trick, just need to make a call.

October Revival

Today is Monday, October 2nd.  It's been months since I posted but I decided to try and post every day in October to discuss progress against my 2017 goals, progress and plans for Christmas, and projects around the house.  I will also take a few posts to discuss my job situation and longer term plans.

To start with, I will say that I listed several goals for the month of October and I have been able to accomplish one of those goals already.  I wanted to get my Halloween decorations out early and I was able to get the outside stuff out out yesterday.  I will finish up with some items inside later this afternoon.

My plan today is mostly work.  I am currently (since July) working as a Retail Merchandiser for Hallmark.  It's a very interesting job but unfortunately, it is not a high paying job and I don't get as many hours (8-12) each week as I would like.  I decided to apply for an take this job for a few reasons:  first, I needed to get out of the house and do something; secondly, it allows me to make some money (to cover my car payment); and finally, it's something that I can include on my resume or discuss in an interview.  

One of the difficult aspects of a RM is that frequently you don't know how long you will work each day.  For example, this week I have 9 hours allowed to service two stores (two visits to each store).  I have the discretion to work this how I want as long as I visit the stores on Monday and then again either of Thursday or Friday.  I'm pretty sure I can work two equal sessions at one store but I idea yet about the other store.  At that second store, my card supply is very low and my cards have been delayed.  If a substantial number of cards arrive today, I will need to work longer today.  If they arrive later in the week, it will be a short day today with a longer day later in the week.  It does require a significant ability to manage your time and workload.  So, today, I could work as little as two hours or as many as seven hours or more.  I really like to get out early so I have the most flexibility in my day.

Update: I ended up working a mere 3.5 hours today which was disappointing to my wallet)

I had hoped to apply to some jobs this afternoon.  ( While I enjoy working as a RM, some of our longer term plans are changing and I will need to find a full-time permanent position for 2018.  I will devote a later post on this.)  Instead, I ..  a) spent a fair amount of time scheduling a doctors appointment - always involves several calls or chats with the insurance company to ensure that all providers are "in network" and appropriately covered; b) completing paperwork to renew my notary; c) researching what is actually covered in our cell plan/bill; d) updated my with holdings with my employer and e) paying some bills.  

I won't work tomorrow but we have a business luncheon.  I'm hoping that that is "paid" time.  I could really use the hours this week.

Tonight for dinner, I made some bone-in smoked pork chops, roasted sweet potatoes, and green beans.  We had an extra pork chop so I put it in a small crock pot after dinner with some water and the drippings from the pan. I will take the meat off and use it along with the pork broth to cook some black-eyed peas later in the week.  It will cook/simmer all night.  I think this is a creative way to not waste food.  

Dirty Tasks: Oven Window

I find that no matter what kind of cleaner I use, my oven window is Never clean.  I tried the baking soda idea and even sprayed it with a dawn, vinegar mix.  This is what that looked like after I tried to clean part of it off.

After all, that grease (and that's what it is) has been baked on!  Next, I tried a magic eraser right on top of that baking soda mixture.  Not much better.

FiniLly, I pulled out the big guns - a single edged razor blade.  I used the blade at a 45 degree angle and just scraped the residue right off.  After getting as much off as I could, I cleaned the remaining gunk off with the magic eraser.  Finally, a wipe with a clean wet washcloth.

While it's not 100%, it is dramatically better.  Now, I'm off to find out how to clean the inside of the glass. 

Product Review: Simply Sugar Cookies

I bought this box of sugar cookie mix off the clearance table at Publix.  I needed a simple and fast mix to whip up some cookies with kids.  As it turned out, the four year old helped me with this.

First, in addition to the mix, you will need a stick of butter and an egg.  The price I paid for this mix wasn't bad at .82 but at regular price of 1.64 it's still relatively cheap.

  I found that the mix was difficult to combine even after softening the butter in the microwave.  The four year old needed help and in the end, we added a generous teaspoon of vanilla to get it to blend.  (You could probably accomplish the same by using an extra large egg.)

We used a small scoop to portion the cookies and got 27 cookies, not 36 as indicated on the box.  They were slightly warm when we ate them.  The kids loved the cookies - don't they always?  Personally, I wasn't really impressed with them.  There was no real sugar taste or mouth feel.  

They might be better if they were rolled in sugar before baking.  I would not buy these again at full price.

Adventures at the House

A couple of weeks ago, DH was invited on an overnight fishing trip.  It was an uneventful couple of days by myself and I got a lot of quilting done.  I was excited for DH to return and on his car trip home, he texted me to say that he was bringing home fish and would like to eat some that night.

In order to accommodate his request, I hopped off to the grocery store to pick up a side dish and a package of pork chops for me.  When I returned home, I filled the tea kettle but I could not get the stove to light.  Apparently, I had neglected to pay the gas bill last month so in the few minutes I was at the grocery store, the technician had stopped by to shut off the gas.

When I realized what had happened, I quickly called in and got the bill paid.  Unfortunately, it was going to be five days before they could have the gas turned back on.  Ugggggh!

Ok, so what does that mean:  no cooking on the stove, no heat (not a problem this time of the year) and no hot water.  I can get around the cooking issue with a little bit of planning but a girl's gotta shower occasionally.

How I managed - I was able to rearrange my menu for the week to take advantage of my crock pot, grill and microwave.  We had stuffed potatoes one night (microwave and electric steamer), crockpot roast with potatoes and carrots (crockpot and microwave for instant rice).  I cooked tuna and pork choke on the grill with my cast iron skillet.  One night I even made gravy in a small crockpot.  I made tea early each afternoon by heating water in a measuring cup and steeping the tea bag for a few hours.

Fortunately, we were able to use my daughter's shower a couple of times during the week and some old fashion sink baths between.  We managed rather well but we were both grateful when the gas was turned on early Friday morning.  A hot shower or a warm bath is a welcome indulgence.

Since this experience, I have been more mindful of getting all the bills (especially the utilities) paid earlier each month and ensuring that nothing gets missed.

Friday Facelift

My daughter has this office chair she uses in her classroom.  It's in really great shape except for the seat.  The mesh fabric tends to snag and tear when anything metal (like a zipper or belt buckle) comes in contact.

She picked out a fabric she liked - this one is an outdoor fabric but any upholstery weight fabric would work.  I think the outdoor fabric will be an e excellent choice in the classroom.

At first, we thought a yard might be enough to cover the seat and back but once I took a good look at the shape and construction, it was clear that a covering for the back was going to be a challenge.

I started by taking the chair completely apart.  I used my electric stapler and a hammer to recover the seat.  I simply cut the fabric large enough to fold over to the underside with a small under fold.  Then, I pulled it snug and stapled it down.  Any staples that weren't flush were hammered until they were.  For the corners, I pulled the fabric in small sections to create small pleats giving the corners a smooth transition.

The arm rests covers were stapled on but I decided to use hot glue.  I used the same process and slowly worked my way around the arm rest securing the tiny folds and pleats.  Once the glue was cool, I reattached the covers to the arm with the screws provided.  This should keep the fabric securely in place.

The back was the biggest challenge.  I removed the pink cover and first thought I could simply make a new cover or sew the new one on top of the existing cover.  That wasn't going to work because I didn't have enough to fabric but more importantly, because of the shape of the back, whatever it was covered with needed to be stretchy and our new fabric was not stretchy.  The chair laws completely functional with the new seat and arm covers but looked a little odd with the solid pink back.  

I finally settled on a wide "sash" that ran vertically up the back to tie the original pink cover with the new patterned fabric.  (Even with this, I had to piece the fabric in the back.). Ultimately, I created a hem on both sides and fastened it together at the bottom using some Velcro that is not seen.  The "sash could be easily removed to rinse it off.

This project took me about 3-4 hours total but some of that time was spent solving the issue with the back and adjusting the sash for fit.  Tools required:  sewing machine, scissors, stapler, hammer and tools to take chair apart.

Where have I been, what's going on?

It's been a while since I posted.  Frankly, I was so disappointed with my job search that everything seemed a bit pointless.  In a nutshell, I can't seem to find a job.  The one that seemed like such a good match didn't happen and the company didn't have the decency to even let me know that.  I'm not sure what it is.  I suspect that part of it is my age (everyone seems to prefer younger workers), some of it may be my experience (maybe they think they can't afford me based on my former employers and titles), or it could be that employers just don't want to make any effort to train people so they are willing to wait for just the perfect candidate (the most likely).  You might be asking why I am inclined to believe this.  First, it is the way the ads and postings are written "8+ years experience with an engineering company" - for an admin job.  "Candidate must have experience with the FDA xyz program" and so on.  I think, they either can't or don't want to train someone.  Based on a couple of my more recent bosses, I could see training to be an issue.  Some supervisors don't believe that they need to know how to do their employees' jobs.  Then, when they are faced with a vacancy, they are completely lost.

So what do I do now?  Next week I will be revamping and reposting my resume with a new look.  I'm taking off everything except my last employer.  I'm also taking on graduation dates for education.  I am thinking about adding a blurb about being "self employed" for the last year as a personal administrative assistant and list some of the things I have been doing.  It was work, even if I was doing it for myself, right?

I've also applied for two part time jobs (at the grocery store and at the credit union).  I'm going to start looking at companies near my house and send inquiries to them regarding open positions.  I am going to try once again to get a phone or in person meeting with someone at Kelly Services.  Beyond that, I'm not sure yet.

While all this happens, I continue to try and be as helpful and productive at home as I can.  I also try to keep my sanity in tact with working on projects that I enjoy.

In all this, the most disappointing aspect is that one friend (who seemingly wanted to hire me at her work) is completely ignoring me.  The unsuccessful job is disappointing but I don't believe it is her fault.  I'm just hurt that she won't respond to my texts and email.  

Cherry Rose Update

I am currently working on the middle row of the Cherry Rose Quilt.  I have decided against the cross hatching of the background.  There is enough quilting around the appliquéd items.  It just needs a little quilting element along the seam lines and then some additional quilting on the outside borders.  Here's a peek at where I am,

March First

My grocery expenses for January were a little higher than the budget number I set so I set an even tighter budget for February.  Let me just spill it, it was an utter failure.  I'm at least 25% over budget and I know I have one or two receipts that have not been added.

Bargain basement prices on strawberries contributed to the overage.  At $1 a quart sized container,I bought 12.  At this point, I have 7 quarts in the freezer for later with two more quarts to process tomorrow.

There were also a couple of times that menu choices were changed and last minute grocery trips added to expenses.

For March, I'm going back to the three hundred dollar budget and hope that I don't need it all.  The freezer holds 40 pounds of chicken plus some various other meat items.  I have already purchased corned beef for St Patrick's Day.  The advance menu planning does seems to be helpful as long as it is flexible.

In the meantime, I am still waiting on news regarding the job I applied for so budgeting will continue to be a consideration.

Waiting Is Hard

I had my interview for the full time job on Tuesday.  I arrived at 8:30 and answered a few questions pertaining to my background and then proceeded to take an assessment on my logic and intellectual skills.  After about an hour and a half, I had my first face to face interview with two ladies in management positions.  After this, I had an exercise to complete.  ( I'm not sure my result was what they were looking for or not.)

Surprisingly, two ladies from the company took me to lunch.

Then, I returned to the office for one more in person/phone interview.  Finally, I met with the HR person I originally spoke with on the phone.

It made for an exhausting day.  I was told that they would probably call Thursday morning but I know from previous experience with them that things take longer than the HR guy anticipates.  Each day that goes by, I think that my chances get slimmer.  By lunch time today, I was already thinking that it probably wouldn't happen but then again, if they wanted to say no, Friday afternoon would have been the perfect time for a quick phone call or email.  Nothing - still waiting.

I'm frustrated because I feel like I wasted the whole week on them.  Monday, I will jump back into the job hunt and focus my energy on home projects.  By Tuesday, I will send an email to the HR person to clarify the situation.

This afternoon, I decided to go ahead and do my grocery shopping and throw my energy into cooking avoid dinner.  I enjoy cooking and sewing and really needed to do something I liked to get out of the funk.  Thankfully, it has worked for now.

Progress, Goals and Hope

I'm still working on the Cherry Rose quilt.  I have two more flower segments and one corner segment to have the first border row done.  I try to do an hour or an hour and a half each evening.  Some days, I get a little done during the day but usually not.  This is going to be a long term project.  

As far as my other goals, I have read seven books and almost have an eighth one complete.  

I have tried four new recipes so far and I'm looking for new ones to try.

I have been remiss on working on our taxes so far this month.  I've been distracted by this off and on again job.  There are two. 

The first one is a part time position with someone I know.  Very flexible but few hours and a long commute.  The problem seems to be getting the budget to fund this position - even at part time.

The second job is a full time position in a field I have worked in.  There are benefits and it is close to my house - probably a 15-20 minute commute at the max.  I finally have an in person interview scheduled.  

Wish me luck.

I've enjoyed my time off and if we were independently wealthy and set for retirement, I would stay home but like most of us, our retirement funds are growing only by interest and we have several things we want to take care of.  

During 2017, we anticipate needing a new water heater.  While we both love our Mini Cooper, it is 9 years old.  We will likely need to buy a new (to us) car this year so it can be paid off before DH retires.  We also have a motorcycle that needs to get paid off within that same time frame.  I would also like to make some small improvement in the house (hardwood floors in one room and new carpeting upstairs).

While a single income covers our expenses, we're not making any progress towards these goals.  For that to happen, I need to work.  

Another new recipe #4

I tried  this recipe today - #4 in my challenge.

This was really good.  No changes except next time, I would split the breasts down the center to create a thinner piece of meat.  These were too thick and took 35-40 minutes in total cooking time.

Healthy Baked Lemon Chicken

By Creme de la Crumb on Pintrest

Cherry Rose Quilt Update

I finished up the applique on the quilt top Friday, purchased the batting Saturday and got it put on the quilt frame Saturday.  It was a pain to get on the frame because both the backing and batting had to be trimmed to the 90" width.

For now, I have decided to echo quilt in the outer border area around the vine and flowers.  In the middle border (plain white), I found a template that has a leaf pattern.  I'm still leaning towards a hatch grid (diagonal) in the main center section but I need to look at the original quilt again.  I don't think I want to echo around the pattern and grid in that area unless that was done with the original.  

An emotional Roller-Coaster

This past week has been odd to say the least.  

In January (19th to be exact), I applied for a job and expected that I would never hear from them.  To my surprise, I got a call from their in house recruiter and then a phone interview with him the next day.  He indicated that he would be presenting my information to the recruiting manager and within 2 days they would move forward with interviews.  When I didn't hear from him for almost a week, I assumed that they moved forward with hiring without me.

Then, again out of the blue, I got another call from them saying to expect to get a call to schedule an in person interview the next day.  You guess it!  No call the next day or the next.  I emailed the recruiting person today.

I'm not sure what is going on.  Maybe they're having some serious scheduling issues or a crisis, etc.  fro the sound of the job and what I know right now, it seems like a really good fit.  I'm a little concerned about their ability to get their act together but maybe that works in my favor.  

So for now, I wait.  And worry.  I'm impatient.  I'm ready to get back to work and I think I've decided that my first and best option is a full time job with full benefits.  I can always work into another work schedule if my situation changes in the future.  

January Grocery Budget Recap and Analysis

I set a budget of $300 for the month of January expecting that I would use a lot of things fro the pantry and freezer and severely limit my grocery shopping.

The totals are in (technically, there's one day left but I don't anticipate needing anything bad enough to necessitate a trip to the store) and the final numbers show that I only ex ended the monthly budget by 7% (or $21).  I think this is a great result because it includes not only two runs to the grocery store this past weekend but also some buying of non-necessities and stock up items.

I think I can do better, though.  To keep myself in check, I've set a budget of $275 for February. 

What makes me think this will work?  I still have an abundance in both the freezer and pantry AND I have 40 pounds of chicken arriving towards the end of the month.  I really need to get some space cleared I the freezer for all that chicken!  Not t mention that February is a short month.

I have a tentative menu started for February up through the 15th.  

What I may need help with is some new recipes to try.  Nothing on Pintrest is appealing to me...

Update: Personal Challenge

WooHoo!  I was able to stay out of the grocery store until ... Wait for it ... Saturday evening.  We ended up going out for dinner Friday night and then I made a pot of Chicken Soup for dinner Saturday night.

After dinner, I ran to the store to pick up a couple of things for Saturday evening and Sunday morning breakfast.  I seem to recall that my purchase was almost $50.  Then today, Monday, I went back over to Publix to get what I needed for the rest of the week - plus a few extras.  I changed my mind of two menu items halfway through the the store so I ended up with a couple of things that I won't need until next week.  Today's purchase was about $53. 

I'm anxious to see where I stand in spending for the month.  I could be close or I may have gone over but I have been more conscience of what I'm spending and I have limited my trips by 50%.  I'm a work in progress.  Just 8 days until the end of the month and it may be possible to have no more grocery trips in January.  We'll see.

New Foods #2 - Tomato Soup

As my second new recipe of the year, I selected The Prudent Homemaker's Tomato Basil soup.

Since I am on a pantry challenge until at least tomorrow, I made a couple of substitutions.  I made half a recipe and used a can of crushed tomatoes instead of diced.  I also substituted a half cup of 1% milk instead of the cream because I am somewhat lactose intolerant.

All in all, it was pretty good but we felt that it lacked something in taste and we weren't really happy with the consistency.  Next time, I will stick to the diced tomatoes (I didn't like the thick lumpy texture and really didn't like the tiny skins) and maybe add a little extra boullion and maybe some extra garlic.  

DH indicated that he would either like it "broth-ier" or more "smooth."  It holds great promise but not quite to our liking - yet.

Now, I'm off to find my next new recipe.

A completed project

XWhen we remodeled out master bath nine years ago, we installed a curved shower rod to make the shower feel wider.  It has worked well but I recently discovered that the bracket was actually cracked on both ends and at risk of falling.  It was going to need to be replaced.

I found a curved Moen shower rod at Bed Bath and Beyond that was $39.  I used a $25 gift card making the out of pocket expense $14 plus tax.  I realized after I made the purchase that I might could have found a coupon online but didn't have one at the time.

This morning I carefully removed the old rod.  The screws had completely married themselves to the anchors so they came out as a whole unit leaving bigger holes than expected.  I smoothed them some and added some spackle.  

The instructions came with small templates.  I used a laser level to create horizontal lines on both the right and left sides.  Then, I used one of my quilting rulers to create perpendicular vertical lines and placed my templates in place.  The instructions called for two screws/anchors at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions.  I elected to add a third screw/anchor on the "inside" 3 and 9 o'clock position for extra insurance that it would not sag.  (This had been an issued with the previous rod.)

After the anchors were in place, I attached the rod.  Two screw positions were actually into studs so I just substituted a beefier wood screw in those two areas.

It's up and working.  I still need to patch the holes and touch up paint before I clip in the decorative covers on the ends.