Frugal In Florida

Chicken Lettuce Wraps - a Hit!

2012-01-31T21:06:00.001-05:00

I love when I try a new recipe and its spot on the first try with my modifications ... it does something for my self esteem :-D This one is definitely staying in the kitchen ...

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

20 oz package of ground, lean turkey. Um, do NOT buy the roll stuff, you know that's all dark turkey stuff, very little lean meat, right?
handful of green onions (cut right off the glass), diced
8 oz can of water chestnuts, drain and rinse well, diced
6 sweet mini peppers, diced
1/3 cup of soy sauce
3 tsp hoisin sauce (it's a miracle, I had it in the pantry!)
2 tbs dry ginger (I don't have fresh)
1 1/2 tbs water
3 tsp sesame oil

Brown the meat. Because mine was super lean (93/7), I added a little bit of olive oil to the bottom of pan since I wasn't using a nonstick pan. Chop it up as it cooks and drain if necessary when done. I didn't as it was pretty lean. Chop up even more now as you want it to be a fine ground. I've got this handy dandy tool nicknamed the North Dakota Food Processor (hey, my girlfriend gave it to me and she is from Daisy ND and calls it that) ... wishing now that I had used it to chop the other stuff!

While the meat is cooking, you can start chopping and dicing. I used sweet peppers because that's what I had on hand and hey, it's been 7 days since I've stepped foot in a grocery store!

I love Costco's sweet peppers!

All diced and ready to go

Add all to the pan

And stir it up

Make your dipping sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp dry ginger
3 small cloves of garlic, minced (or easy way, use the garlic press)

Add all to small container and whisk well. Set aside. Isn't that just the cutest topper for a whisk?

Mr. Doughboy!

Take your lovely lettuce leaves and lay them on a plate. Add some meat, enough to be hardy, but not too much to make the lettuce freak out (um, tried telling Hubby but you know how men are).

I couldn't help it, I took a bite

Drizzle a little sauce over the top (it's strong so don't free pour!)

Here's where I had a problem: I tried to roll up my lettuce but that wasn't working AT ALL. Crap. Everything else was doing so very good and now THIS!

But then I found that if I just folded/scooped/held the lettuce in half, it was perfectly fine.

Ahhh. This was pretty damn good and even Hubby liked it ... definitely making again!

NOTES: I used butter lettuce that I got from Costco. It's good lettuce but I think a tad to fragile. I'm thinking NEXT time to wash the lettuce and toss in the fridge so it's crispier ... as it was, I washed it and laid it out on the counter to dry. Almost wilty like ... but still good.

3 large heads from Costco were the price of ONE head at Publix!

Linking up with Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Whats Cooking Wednesday.

Original Recipe by Skinny Kitchen

Covering Large Bowls

2012-01-31T06:20:00.003-05:00

I hate plastic wrap. It's a pain in the neck, you know? I was using Stretch Tight which is the BEST one I've used ever, but still, annoying to deal with and never even 80% cooperative.

Then you can buy them little bowl covers at the dollar store, and others too. But those need to be cleaned, and really, do you know what they remind me of?

Glorified shower caps.

Yeah. Shower Caps. And THAT, my friends, is exactly WHAT I use to cover my large bowls and any other containers, plates, pans, trays, you name it.

Hubby travels frequently and I always have him bring home the shower caps (and lotion, those get tossed in my purse and desk at work) ... Did you know that only about 60% of the hotels he's stayed at have shower caps?

You can buy an 8 pack of cheap plastic shower caps at the dollar store for, oh, ONE DOLLAR. I've had a hard time finding them so I think maybe, just maybe, I'm not the only one who uses them for this purpose...

On a side note: I've tried to use those on my HEAD, you know, the way they are meant to be used? They make my hair all steamy like. Anyone else ever have that??

These can be washed and reused numerous times before the elastic starts to break down. I use them to cover plates, bowls, pans, trays of fruit, dough, pasta salads and they come in handy for parties and bbq's ... nothing covers a big platter quite as efficient and easily as a shower cap!

Linking up with Kitchen Tip Tuesday and a new place, Frugal Tuesday Tip, Works For Me Wednesday

Menu Plan Monday - Week 5

2012-01-29T16:40:00.002-05:00

There are SO many recipes I want to try ... I've started creating a folder for each month to bookmark what I want to try when just to try and keep them in some kind of order. I have a serious love/hate relationship with Pinterest lately ... way too many things to try!

But alas, reality sets in and I realize that even though I'm a fairly accomplished cook (so I tell myself), there are still some things that are just beyond even MY skills :-\ ... not to mention, I'm not all about the food being pretty, although I am starting to get a little more focused on that end (started with that green smoothie thing with nutella) ...

AND then you have February's challenge. I am having such a difficult time with the Year of Zero, like seriously, lets just call it the Year of Excess at this point (ok, not that bad, but bad enough for me to feel like a complete failure, 29 days in) ... and even though I've got a fairly well stocked pantry and 3 stuffed freezers, I know that I do not have any sweet chili sauce or any oranges, apples, fresh bananas, and I'm only giving myself $20.00 dollars a week for milk and produce. WHAT? Yeah. TWENTY DOLLARS. That trip from Costco should buy me 2 weeks, so really, could say $40 for 2 weeks, but I'm not.

So...let's see ... what is on the menu plan THIS exciting week then?

Sunday - Chicken Kiev ~~... I'm really excited to make this!~~ Change of plans ALREADY - Hubby made red sauce so we had pasta ... I am still going to make this one day this week and swap something out.

Monday - I believe we will both be hitting the gym hard tonight so I'm planning on a Green Smoothie for me and Chicken and broccoli saute for Hubby

Tuesday - Chicken lettuce wraps

Wednesday - this would be our date night out but again, I think the gym is in the picture so I'm looking at a lovely cobb salad for all of us (hoping the avocado I have holds out)

Thursday - Either out or soup/salad or salad/sandwiches

Friday - Looking at doing a mock Olive Garden night with Garlic Tuscan Chicken and an Olive-y Garden salad (oh look, I have everything except a few ingredients, mainly cream, but will use half and half) ... I even got a nice bottle of Chianti which hey, that leaves me with 4 bottles of wine and 3 bottles of champagne to get me through the month!

Saturday - Steaks, hopefully but really, letting Hubby choose. As always, Friday and Saturday nights are always interchangeable due to friends and Happy Hour!

What are you cooking this week?

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Appreciating What You Have

2012-01-28T17:30:00.001-05:00

I've been in a little funk lately, which made me switch out the flatware ... shop at Costco and now opt to try some new recipes. I've had a little more stress than I'd like to admit, and frankly, I've not always been a joy to be around. When you realize that, you know it's bad.

So when Hubby told me Saturday morning to be "sportin' a bikini" within the next 30 minutes for a ride on the boat, I was less than pleased. I had laundry to do. I needed to finish up the menu plan for next week, clean the kitchen, mop the floor, wash the rugs, re-work the budget and so on. You know, a woman's work is NEVER done.

But as he went about happily getting everything ready for a little ride on the boat (seriously, no such thing as a 'little' ride on the boat, it's a production and generally 4 plus hours of time), I figured, the heck with it. Sunshine, salt water and just clean, fresh air would be nice.

So I got a bikini on (which totally motivates me to eat healthier AND work out, good Lord what happened to my body??) and grabbed a few muscle milk containers, the leftover sausage and cheese from last night, a few cheese sticks and a sleeve of Ritz (just in case, you never know).

Run down to the boat, which is running by now, and Hubby says "hey, look at that big fish!"

Ummm....that was NO fish. It was a Manatee. A LARGE MANATEE. And down here, we have to show utmost respect for them as they are endangered.

Of course, it never fails that they come around on the weekends, we can't go fast in the boat because it's "Manatee Season".

Bless Hubby's heart, he turned on the hose and provided entertainment for us. Manatees love fresh water and roll over on their back and just float with the water splashing in their mouth. It's comical and a little frightening at the same time.

Ummm. He wouldn't leave. Kept swimming around the boat, would head a way just a bit and then turn around and come back. After about 40 minutes, Hubby just got off the boat, turned the hose on a trickle off corner of dock and sure enough, the manatee went over there and played ... Hubby jumped on the boat, fired it up and pulled away. Yahoo (and secret prayers that he would be gone by the time we got home, he was).

So we headed north to Lighthouse Point Inlet and then out to the ocean. BEAUTIFUL day. We tossed out a couple of lines and trolled for about 2 hours. Not a thing, but that was perfectly fine, because it was SO what I needed. A day of NOTHING.

I'm home now. Kitchen is cleaned. Got the butter rolled and in the freezer for Chicken Kiev. I think we are going to our local Italian joint for a quick dinner this evening ... may as well make it a great day all around.

My point is that I was not wanting to go on the boat. I had too many things to do. All those things were projects I created for MYSELF to do ... and really, I needed to just have a quiet day ... so, look around, what do you see that you haven't enjoyed lately? Take the time and enjoy NOW.

Friday Night Happy Hour

2012-01-27T19:07:00.000-05:00

Ok. I'll be perfectly honest, I needed a Happy Hour Friday, trust me. What a week. My dad was back in the hospital yesterday for what he says is a stroke, my brother says its a stroke, but the nurse says NO stroke. TIA. Kind of like a stroke, but not as damaging. Whatever. I hate being so far away and not quite on the same wave length as the brother and wife.

Regardless, it's FRIDAY!

I'm having Bud Light. No big deal, actually, I'm a little surprised at myself, thinking I'd crack open a bottle of wine or something but remembered, I'm putting myself on a very limited grocery budget for February so need to conserve the wine (don't ask about the reasoning....it will come out eventually, I'm certain of it...before February 28th.

But the beer is not what I'm so excited about.

I'm excited about the hors d'oeuvres. I've prepared (and waiting not so very patiently for Hubby to get home from the gym, clean up and join ME)

Chicken and apple hot dogs, sauteed in fry pan and then sliced and tossed in crock pot to keep warm
Chicken and pineapple hot dogs, sauteed in fry pan and then sliced and tossed in crock pot to keep warm (I'm really wishing I could tell which is which just by looking, Hubby is NOT a fan of pineapple)

Sliced summer sausage
Sliced Gouda cheese
Sliced smoked cheddar cheese
all arranged on a platter with these yummy gluten free crackers (surprise, they are delicious!)

And then, Nancy's mini quiche. Oh yum yum yum.

Not a feast by any means, but certainly, will do for us this evening! Princess is here to join us (and she's of age now) and I believe a friend of ours is coming over as his wife is out of town.

So what did YOU do for Happy Hour Friday?

Conserving Ink

2012-01-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

*This is a reprint of a post I did a few months ago and just a friendly reminder that YES YOU CAN save on ink ...

I'm fortunate in that one of the attorney's in my office has asked if I'd like to do a little side work for him at home.

Sure! It's the Holidays approaching, Sonny Boy is in school, extra rent being paid for him, plus his ordinary living expenses (trust me, he's NOT living high on the hog by any means!), real estate taxes coming due and so on.

So I am getting about $400.00 extra a month at the moment doing searches and reports for him.

Of course, it's a LOT of printing so I'm thinking I should look into a new printer. He's offered to buy me a new printer, which I just sort of looked at him like, "Huh? Why would you do that??" Really, that's too generous and I will not allow that. Sorry, my friend.

Then I started to notice these "XL" ink cartridges first. You know, the ones that say "Up to 3 X More Pages"?

I've priced them and they are a little over twice the regular price. So really, besides the fact that it's less timing to swap them out when they run empty, less waste, not a whole lot of savings though as I can't say for SURE that's it 3 times more ink.

Hmmm. Monetarily, not a GREAT bargain. But less waste and less time? Yeah, worth it. $14.99 for a regular ink cartridge, or buy a 2 pack for $29.99 or buy the XL for $35.99.

BUT to make things even better, I've finally, FINALLY figured out how to print in black only and bypass the color! Want to know how?

Go to your start button and select printers.

Right click on the printer and select printing options.

Click for fast draft printing and then there should be another selection under color options where you can click for black ink only (typically in the gray scale area).

SAVE this option as a default and there you have it. I saved mine as CG ... of course, the initials of the attorney =D.

Of course, every printer is different, but holy ink Batman, this works for me! Now if I could just figure out why I lost my wireless connection ... that's my next project!

Linking up with Frugal Fridays!

Sharing With Friends

2012-01-26T06:18:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I picked up all this stuff at Whole Foods thinking me and Hubby could have a nice stroll to the beach on a date night and share some good wine with some equally good cheese and crackers. Never happened, so I ended up sharing with friends and it was just as good! This was not recent, but withing the past 4 months or so.

A nice assortment of fairly expensive cheeses (ok, it's not $3.99 cheddar, ok?) ...

Add in some crackers or flat thingys

And then slice up some heirloom tomatoes

And you have a feast to share with friends...

Linking up with Ultimate Recipe Swap

Chicken and Veggies = Stirfy

2012-01-25T04:00:00.006-05:00

It wasn't really on the menu plan but somehow, it happened at the last minute no less, on Friday.

I had to re-package the chicken (time was running out!) to freeze and though, hmmm...these little pieces could be used for a cream chicken pasta like dish easily. Then, I said NO, a stirfry.

I love my Kindle Fire (shameless, aren't I?) and fired up The Pioneer Woman right there in the kitchen! (Which makes me ask, what the heck did we do before laptops, WiFi and The Pioneer Woman anyways??)

My recipe is really really modified and I will modified it even more next time but man, so easy, even a Caveman can do it!

Here's how I did it:

3 b/s chicken breast, cut into smallish pieces (mine were chunky so ended up cutting more after cooked)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbs sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp corn starch
1 onion roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic finely minced
8 cups of wonderful frozen stirfry veggies from the freezer (carrots, broccoli, shrooms, water chestnuts, green beans, etc.)
Sesame oil
Canola oil

Mix 1/2 cup soy with 3 tbs sugar. Will make it thick. Mix 1/4 cup broth with 2 tsp cornstarch. Set both aside. Keep 1/4 cup broth off to side too (I had a moment!)

Such cool little glass bowls that I got from the neighbor ... FREE

Just mix it up again when ready to use as it will all settle to bottom again

Drizzle the chicken with a little bit of extra soy and a little sesame oil

These chunks were a little large. I ended up cutting with scissors once they were cooked

Heat large skillet (or wok) over medium high heat and add oil. Once hot, add chicken. NOW - I removed my pan and let it cool a tad as I HATE that splattering stuff with hot oil ... makes a mess and can really add a nice layer to everything around.

I LOVE the Costco brand, Kirkland

Cook chicken, stirring up as you go til just cooked through. Move to a bowl and keep close by.

Still need to cut it up smaller

Add a little more oil if needed to skillet, admire the brownness on the bottom of the pan and dump in the onions and garlic and saute for about 1 minute, scrapping the bottom of the pan to pick up the good stuff on bottom.

See that brown stuff on the bottom of pan ... that's the secret!

Just keep stirring and all that yummy stuff comes right up once the onions are cooking

Quick, grab your frozen veggies and dump them in. Cook til the veggies are starting finally thaw and get heated through.

Again, I LOVE Costco's brand, Kirkland (that's a 5 lb bag! I used about 6 cups worth)

Carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, shrooms, green beans, red peppers and so much more!

That was A LOT of broccoli, which is not my favorite

NOW the good stuff is coming ... dump in the chicken , give a quick mix and then pour on the soy sauce mix and the 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Stir well. Drizzle with 1 tbs soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil, add the cornstarch mix, stir well. Sauce will thicken in a few minutes.

Serve over rice and tada, there you have it, I fixed my Chinese craving I've been having.

NOTE: We like our stuff SAUCY. This was 'saucy' but not enough to satisfy us so next time I will use 1 cup of soy sauce, 6 tbs sugar and 1/2 cup broth with 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch and a reserved 1/2 cup broth. You can make this with fresh veggies or any other assortment of frozen if desired. I'm thinking of maybe doing it like a lo-mien next time with noodles...yummm.

Enjoy!

Linking up with: What's Cooking Wednesday and GCC Recipe Swap

Grocery Round Up

2012-01-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

Well, here's how I did at the grocery store THIS week:

Publix (Monday), needed milk and coffee cream. How is that I got more?
1 qt milk $1.85 (to tide us over til Costco trip)
2 small international coffee creamers $1.67 each (seriously, not a flavored coffee person at all)
1.5 lbs of fried chicken tenders @ deli $8.67 (doh, I had a $1 off coupon and forgot to use!)
8 oz deli potato salad $2.99 (had thought it was $1.99)
Grand total $17.52

And then ... well, I needed to get to Costco. I had a list, cash, my coupon booklet AND the American Express card since I was getting gas too ($3.35 per gallon for regular, GREAT DEAL!) ... ummm ... yeah, it's ugly. But in keeping it real, here you go:

Butter Lettuce $4.59 (I'm hoping to make chicken lettuce wraps next week)
*Romaine lettuce $4.29
*Organic spinach $3.99
*2 2 lb packages of deli thin turkey $8.39 each plus $2.25 off each $6.14 each which is $3/lb)
3 dozen xlarge eggs $3.69 (price is down again!)
large bag of baking soda#5.99
30 piece rubbermaid food storage set $29.99 less $4 (so totally do NOT need)
7 lbs (give or take) of b/s chicken breast $19.55 less $4
pork chops $13.99 less $3
2 starbucks 12pk frappachinos $13.99 less $3 each
2 24 pk muscle milk (1 vanilla 1 chocolate) $29.99 each less $6 each
Tortilla strips (chips) $4.29
3 Oh Yeah protein bars (12 pk) $13.99 less 3 each ($10.99 for these is a good price)
Ziploc combo pkg $10.49 less $2
acid reduction (2 pk) $8.89
*MegaRed x 2 $19.99 less $5
36 count Welch fruit snacks $10.59
*mini peppers $4.29
*black forest ham $5.83
18 ct pure protein bars $17.69
2 pkgs of softsoap (bar form, pomegranate and mango ... smells so GOOD) $7.99 each
pico degallo $5.49 (tomatoes looked like crap)
veggie chip variety pack $9.49 less $2.50
*half & half $3.29
*2 gallons 2% milk $3.45 each
92 count tampax $13.99 less $3
96 count always $12.99 less $2.50
6 pk basmati ready made rice x 3 $5.97 (these were a BIG hit with Princess and made dinners a LOT easier ... this price is lower than I paid originally too!)
Lubriderm lotion (2 pk and smaller bottle) $13.99

Eh. 90% of that stuff was NOT on my list. Like holy cow! What am I going to do?? Ummm....thinking of a complete stop on grocery shopping for February.

Grand total? $384.84. But hey, I saved $63.50. Good lord. Someone shoot me, scold me, tell me this is WRONG. Whatever. It's food that we will eat, health and beauty that we will use. Even though it's more than I budget for the MONTH. Ack. Bad bad bad.

The *? That's what was on my list! I did put stuff back, and I also skipped some things that I would normally buy. I showed SOME restraint. Ha. I know. Don't tell me.

Shamefully linking up with GCC Shopping Round Up.

Changing the Silver

2012-01-24T04:00:00.001-05:00

You know that I'm doing a Year of Zero, right? And it has NOT been going as well as hoped, nor anywhere near as planned. But I keep plugging away, and every morning is the start of a new day, so I keep chugging along.

Because I've been feeling slightly deprived (which really, I don't understand WHY, it's not like I shop just to shop) .... I've been CLEANING ... yikes. You know, decluttering sort of. But not quite. Just seeing what I have that I've forgotten about. Is that cryptic or what?

I came across 2 silver flatware sets this morning, under the guest bed. Ummm, isn't that where YOU keep spare dishes and stuff?

I opened them up and admired them yet again. These were Hubby's grandmothers and we opted to keep them after she passed, thinking we will give a set to each kid when THEY get married. I still have those intentions, I think. :)

So I pulled the cases out and washed every last piece. Ummm, they are 8 and 16 piece settings. That's alot of silverware! And no, they did not need polished!

And as I was drying them, I thought, Hmmmm....it's a shame and a waste to have them tucked away for 'safe keeping' and right then and there, I made the decision.

I had to rob the laundry room and the junk drawer in the process.

I needed the little flatware holders.

I took the current set we use everyday, which is MY grandmothers silver set (plated) that was for holidays and family get together. I've been using it for 20 plus years. This set was relocated to the guest kitchen for our guest (ummm, like my DAD) to use when visiting. And here you have it.

Uh huh. Nice. The feel in your hand is just so different. And eating with them? Makes a simple dish pretty damn special feeling. I'm considering bringing the china over and putting the Corel over in guest kitchen too ... except the china has silver rims and can't go in the microwave. You know that would be a BAD thing, right?

So how about YOU, would you swap out your dishes and flatware? Does it do anything different for your attitude?

I've been living with REAL silver now for 4 days and can't tell you how good it feels. I don't know WHY but it Works For Me.

NOTE: I'm not savvy whatsoever on these 'little things' such as that tiny fork or the funky spoons ... the one oval with a sharp top? It's very tiny, almost a joke if you were to try and eat cereal with ... I think it might be for coffee or tea?

Menu Plan Monday, Week 4

2012-01-23T07:41:00.002-05:00

Week 4 of the New Year. Heh. What do you make of that? Time sure does fly!

Anyways ... this is going to be an EASY week as Hubby will be in Detroit Monday and returning on Thursday. Can you say Nachos and Steak Salad on a daily basis?

Nah. I can't do that ... although I'd like to! Since I'm hoping to make it to class 3 times this week, I won't be home until 8ish those nights (unless I get to the 5:30 class instead) ... so a lot of these might be swapped for the Smoothie and then just eat the dinner ideas for lunch at work ...

Sunday - Hubby's choice (which ended up being leftovers due to an emergency vet visit .. farewell Gman - the party continues for you elsewhere)

Monday - Chicken Pasta Cesar Salad ... Hubby was kind enough to cook up some extra chicken breast for me on Saturday

Tuesday - Chili (leftovers from the freezer)

Wednesday - Steak stirfry (using the pre-cooked steak and veggies from freezer and maybe some of the rice too)

Thursday - Hubby home! Subs baby!

Friday - Pizzas ... I've got 4 Amy's frozen pizzas in the freezer taking up a LOT of space. 2 mushroom trios and 2 margherita (ah, only 3, forgot gave 1 to my g/f one night when she was feeling icky and blah) ... Tonight and Saturday could be swapped out depending on our entertainment plans

Saturday - Grilled chicken with roasted veggies on the side

Hubby actually asked if I had a Costco trip planned anytime soon as he's getting low on a few things that I buy there. Vitamins, protein bars, etc. And as a matter of fact, YES I've been wanting to go but putting it off to be able to optimize the trip to its fullest extent (produce bought when others besides ME are home to eat them, and such). So keep an eye out for the Costco list and the end results this week.

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday. Go check it out!

Making Do and Doing It Yourself

2012-01-20T06:30:00.001-05:00

Yes. That is my new motto.

At least, I keep telling myself that!

So. What am I making do with and doing myself, you ask?

Facial cloths ... makeup remover pads, just plain ole face wash.

I don't wear a lot of makeup. Mascara, eye liner, eye shadow once every few weeks. You know, basic stuff. No foundation, blush, primer, all that other stuff. That would just consume too much of my morning routine and heck, I dont' know how to use that stuff anyways.

But I do wash my face. Every morning. And every night. And sometimes at lunch. Not that I have oily or dirty skin, just like the feeling of a nice clean face. Makes me feel refreshed.

Anyways.

I do NOT buy those make up remover pads, or the face wash cloths. I DO buy baby wipes and will use them on my face and neck immediately AFTER working out (just because, I can't stand sweat and hair on my face ::shudder::). But when I saw this and this, I thought, hey, this would be a good experiment to try for the morning washing of the face. Heh.

I even decided to do this at 7:55am on Thursday morning, when I leave the house by 8:30am to go to work. That tell you how easy it was??

The oil is NOT just for cooking, I use it on my hands, feet, hair, you name it!

3 sheets of paper towel. I use Kirkland (Costco) brand and it's large, 13 1/2 by 11 inches. Nice and thick, cushy stuff. I highly recommend it.
1 tsp coconut oil (solid form is fine, or liquid, whichever)
1 tsp of baby wash
1 cup warm tap water.
Smallish container, be it an old baby wipe container or Rubbermaid bowl with tight lid.

Cut the 3 sheets of paper towel to quarters. Fold them each in half and alternate the way the fold side is facing (1 towards you, other facing away).

Dump water, oil and wash into the container. Mix well.

Just a little glob of coconut oil

Place stack of papertowl into dish and press down. They will soak up the liquid.

To use, pull one out, squeeze a little to get excess liquid off and wash away.

I love this!! So very much! It has a nice smell and is not oily or drying at all!

What do YOU see? The purple polish is NOT holding up as well as I had hoped

Linking up with Frugal Fridays!

Next time I will use my favorite face wash stuff, just a tsp and see how it works.

A few notes:

Some sites say to just cut a whole paper towel roll in half. That is too much for me. Plus there are reports of problems with mold. Ummm, I do live in paradise, but that also entails 100% humidity 99% of the time, so I said no, I'm making this in small batches, which is why you see only 1 cup of water as opposed to 4 and so on.

Also, I'm not so sure I'd use CHEAP paper towel. It needs to be something that has the ability to hold the liquid. If you get cheap stuff, it's gonna fall apart on you the minute you pull it out of the container. And that would just be irritating and wasteful (just saying).

I had bought the baby wash for something else and was APPALLED that a little tiny travel size bottle cost $1.29. Holy crap! IF you don't have a baby and/or that stuff, just use your favorite liquid face wash, or even body wash if you want. It's a small amount so I don't think there should be any concerns.

Go ahead, give it a try and let me know how it works?

Mango Salsa

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

I posted another Mango Salsa a while ago ... remember, I spent like $7 for that little container at Whole Foods? Yikes.

This one is an accompaniment to the pork loin I made on my day off.

I used canned mangos. I know. But it's all I had and there way no way in hell I was going to a store JUST to buy a mango. We all know how that works out.

Here you have it ... and let me tell you, canned or not? It was delicious!

1 can of mangos, drained well (get rid of that icky light syrup)
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro (this guarantees that Hubby will not eat it but it's ok, he's not a fan of mangos either)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and then diced small (I love my jalapeno tree - the thing grew huge)
juice of one lime

See, canned mango isn't really all that bad

I mean, it's already cut away from that horrible pit and peeled too!

And I bet that can had enough for TWO mangos. Chop up the mangos in to bite size pieces.

Mix all in a bowl

Add a touch of salt and taste ... add more salt if needed. Set aside til ready to serve ...

This will so be going on my steak salad next time I make it!

And, yes, I do believe I could use this as a dip for tortilla chips. The other recipe also had red onions (which I don't have) .... I could easily add a tsp of green onions, finely sliced.

So how about YOU ... do you like cilantro or not?

Freshness

2012-01-18T06:59:00.000-05:00

I love me some fresh herbs. As in, cut them right off the plant and start munching.

Ok, not quite like that ... but you get the picture.

I've got a few tips today:

Green Onions - Slice off the rooty part and stick in a glass of water. You will be supplied with at least a month long supply ... just cut off the green shoots as needed (or to keep control of them, they will get carried away without attention to trimming). Make sure to change the water out every few days.

Cilantro/Parsley/Basil - I buy these rather large size pots at Publix every 3 months or so. They cost $3.99 each. IF I'm smart, I will use them for the filler to get me to $50 when I have that $5 off $50 coupon and nothing I want or need. These last me for about 3 months if not longer too. My only problem is remembering to water them and keep them out of the direct sunlight during the summer months. No, I do NOT plant them in the garden. I've got a dirt phobia when it comes to herbs, and don't like the undersides getting splashed with dirt when it rains or sprinklers come on. Cut these at least weekly and then wrap the cut pieces in a damp papertowel (keep herbs separated) and then stash in a ziploc bag. I do not close the bag all the way, maybe 3/4's of the way. Then toss in the fridge and you've got some nice, crisp herbs to top dinner, salads, etc.

Use scissors to cut herbs and green onions. Makes life so much easier and if you are smart, you already have a pair of kitchen shears in the drawer! I personally have 4 now as I keep picking them up. No, they are the expensive cutlery ones ... just regular scissors that I've picked up at the store and then turned designated them for kitchen duties. My last pair came from the dollar store and I keep thinking I need to go buy a couple more pairs as they are much nicer than the Target ones. Who would have thought?

So there you have my tips for freshness on a few things. Works for Me!

Pork, The Other White Meat

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Do they still really have those commercials out? Remember? Beef - It's Whats For Dinner and then Pork - The Other White Meat.

Heh. Just curious since I pretty much zone out of all commercials (except for Max the Pig and the Chaos guy ... notice they are BOTH insurance commercials!) ...

Anyways.

I have a pork loin that I picked up the other day at Penn Dutch for $1.99 a pound. That's a good deal. It's 4 plus pounds. My original plans were to slice (and dice) into chops then I said, OH ... I'll make the Island Pork ... but then I tripped over Skinny Taste, and look what she had up ... Ugg. Change of plans but oh so much easier!

Of course, I was NOT using a tenderloin so a few modifications were called for :-)

1 pork loin, trimmed of excess fat
3 tbs garlic salt
1 1/2 tbs of curry powder
1/2 cup sweet red chili sauce (or whatever is left in your bottle, if you are like ME)
a good dash or two of Sriracha sauce (you know, the bottle with the Rooster on it)
2 tbs of honey

Line a baking sheet with foil. Take one of your cooling racks and place it inside to create a baking rack (genius, isn't it??)

Mix the garlic powder and curry powder in a small bowl.

Take your hunk of meat and toss it on the rack. And rub the spices all over the pork, top and bottom.

Make sure the fatty side is up.

Preheat the oven to 375 and you will roast it for 40 to 60 minutes, til it's done where you want it (Hubby and I disagree on the pork doneness. I do not want it DRY but he doesn't want the slightest bit of pink ... so he eat the ends and I eat the middle!)

While roasting, go ahead and mix up the chili sauce, Sriracha and honey. During the last 10 minutes or so of cooking, brush the pork with the sauce, being liberal with it.

Once pork is cooked to where you like it (145 to 160 degrees), pull out and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Slice and serve ... and yes, I did make the mango stuff ... but used canned mango as it's what I have. I drained off the light syrup and it worked perfectly!

Yes, I am a proud member of the clean plate club if its healthy!

I also made a side or rice with black beans for Hubby as he will turn up his nose at the mango stuff!

Getting Back in the Groove

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed my day off yesterday ... thanks to MLK Day.

I cooked. A new recipe. Two actually. Keep your eyes out this week :-)

I cleaned (laundry and such).

I went to the Casino with my neighbor (um, yeah, that sort of blew the budget).

I went to Kmart due to poor timing on MY part (yes, that did NOT help the budget out either).

I went to the gym. Damn near passed out and puked too. Something to do with shoulder exercises (buzzy feeling in the area and then just general foggyness sets in. Hmmm. Pinched nerve the doc mentioned?).

Made myself a Greenish Smoothie when I got home.

Made Hubby an awesome salad to go with the leftovers we ate for dinner.

Showered and went to bed. Completely drained the battery on the Kindle so that meant it had to charge overnight. Odd. I thought I turned it off.

It's back to work today. Which means all that stuff above? Well, it should be a part of my every day life for the most part (cooking, cleaning, gym, shower, eating healthy) but it's not always. So today, I'm getting back in the groove at work, and when I leave at 5pm to head to my 5:30 class, I will stay F. O. C. U. S. E. D.

Because we all know, losing focus is how it all goes downill.

Spinach .... in a Smoothie??

2012-01-17T06:32:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I'm a little late for the game but hey, better late than never ...

So you can look all over the web and see all these Green Smoothies.

And probably think something like me, WTF? Spinach in a smoothie? And NOT taste it? Yeah, right ... I believe ya ...

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE SPINACH. In salads. On sandwiches (oh yummy, skip the lettuce and try spinach next time, excellent!) and of course, in dips ... but a smoothie, to DRINK? I think not.

But then I saw THIS (thank you yet again, Pinterest!) and thought, wow, it's ... BEAUTIFUL.

Huh. A green smoothie is beautiful. Purty. Very very much so.

So here you have my opinion ... here's how I did it ...

3 cubes of frozen plain yogurt (I just froze it in ice cube trays and then stuck them 3 to a bag in smaller bags
1 tablespoon peanut butter (not the measuring tablespoon!)
1 frozen banana (sliced)
1 cup milk
2 to 3 handfuls of spinach (enough to fill the blender to top ... I'm sure I should have used more, but oh well)

Honestly, I was worried at this point. That's a lot of spinach

Let the blender whip it up and then hit liquefy if you have it ...

And while I talk about using the blender, another reason I tried this is because usually, when I try to make a smoothie with frozen anything (ice, fruit, etc), the thing is all chunky and lumpy. Ick. Well, IF I had a Blendertec or VitaMix that wouldn't be a problem ... but I can't justify spending $400 to $600 for a blender (hello, this is considered a SMALL appliance) ... so to see that That Iowa Girl uses a Osterizer, well, I knew it would be all right in my world ... just sayin.

So here you go. I blended it up in my Cuisinart. Pretty trusty small appliance, I'd say.

And the end results.

Yes, that IS a Roccos Tacos glass ...

It was actually pretty tasty. Definitely tasted peanut butter ... BUT a word of caution, you have to drink it RIGHT AWAY. Seriously. I stashed some in a glass in the freezer for Hubby and tried his after he made face ... blech. Do it while it's fresh!

FYI - after I got home from the gym the other night, I went ahead and made this with Nutella instead of peanut butter AND fresh banana as I forgot to freeze one that morning ...

If you eat with your eyes, don't do this. It's a pretty ugly, mucky looking green vomit like brown. Sorry. Just saying. Although the taste was still good!

I can honestly say YES I will be making these frequently. I'm thinking these will be great for after a hard workout ... but then that means I'm gonna be skipping a dinner or two ...

So .... have you gotten on the Green Smoothie kick?

Linking up with Made Famous By ... go check it out!

Baked Shrimp Scampi

2012-01-16T19:01:00.000-05:00

Ummm, I think I've declared my love of Pinterest enough already, haven't I? It's just a wealth of all sorts of cool things ... recipes, clothes, diy projects and so on. It's also a time sucker, so you do need to use care =D

So anyways, yet again, a new recipe this week, courtesy of What's Cookin, Chicago? (my hometown!) and heck, again, I've got everything in house to make it ... I cut the recipe in half as I thought 2 lbs of shrimp was just too much ...

Here's how I did it:

1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined (and I removed the tail too)
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs dry white wine
salt and pepper
3/4 stick of butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
a little less than a quarter of an onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp rosemary, chopped
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest (seriously, this does make all the difference in a dish)
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup or so of panko (or crushed bread crumbs)
lemon wedges to serve alongside

Mix oil, wine, 2 tbs butter and 1 tsp pepper in mixing bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Let sit on counter while you continue preparation. NOTE: If you are talking to Chatty on the phone, be sure that you don't add the shrimp FIRST as you need to be able to MIX the stuff first.

Add remaining ingredients to another bowl, along with 1/4 tsp salt and dash of pepper (except the lemon wedges) and mash all together.

In large shallow baking dish, arrange shrimps cut side down. Pour the marinade over the top of them and then spread/dot the butter mixture over the top.

Bake 10-12 minutes or so at 425 degrees til hot and bubbly. You can brown the top if you'd like by turning on the broiler the last few minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges along side and a side of rice if desired. We used Basmati rice as that's what I had ready to go...

Yeah, it was good. But I think I need to NOT be talking on the phone when I make it next time. Just because ... I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention as I should have been ;)

Groceries for the Week

2012-01-16T07:24:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I know, I said I was going to stay out of the stores as I didn't really need anything.

Then I had a very specific list to stick to and $75 cash in my envelope. Yes. I even scratched things off the list because it was going to have me over by a few bucks.

So what happened? I'm not sure.

Friday was fine. Got out of work 30 minutes early so drove south to Penn Dutch. Ummm, had boneless skinless chicken breast (15 lbs) and bananas on there. Easy, $25 maximum and out. So convinced of that, I didn't bring the $5 off $50 coupon code to print out. Yeah. Doh.

boneless california (?) chuck roast $10.29
pork tenderloin $8.78
NY Strip steaks $16.23
chicken breast $8.95
chicken breast $7.30
4 jars of pure tomato sauce (tomato's and salt, thats it for ingredients, 24 oz) $1.25 each
bananas $1.31
2 strawberries $2.98
french bread (still warm, the smell!) $1.29
loaf of texas toast bread $2.79

Grand total $64.92.

Fine, that still gave me $10 to get milk and produce, right?

Publix is the next stop (its Friday, Hubby flies home this evening, so I was on a mission)

2 pkgs of english muffins $3.99
1 gallon milk $3.85

Grand total $7.84

Hey, look, I still have money left! Woohoo. NOT.

Saturday morning I wake up. My hands are just killing me ... and I'm crabby, miserable, sad, borderline weepy. Just blah.

Go to Aldi's for a FEW things. Seriously, I have a list. Not sugar stuff. Bagels. I wanted to check the price of eggs.

2 ketchups (I'm OUT) $1.19 each
5 cans of chili beans 55 cents each
1 can of pinto beans (thought it was chili) 59 cents
2 jars of banana peppers $1.19 each
1 bag of flour $1.49
10 inch burrito (10) $1.99
wet wipes $1.39
2 pkgs of qtips (OUT) $1.39 each
2 pkgs of chocolate covered peanuts 99 cens each
not really sugar x 2 $1.19
head of cauliflower 99 cents
6 cans of tomato paste 39 cents each
2 dozen large eggs $1.39 each
low fat cottage cheese 99 cents each (um, this was a GREAT deal)
32 oz vanilla yogurt $1.99
2 cans cut green beans 59 cents each
4 cans of tomato juice $1.29 each
1 8 oz container fresh salsa $1.99 (it's the garlic artichoke Aldi one, delicious)
4 cans of crushed tomatoes 89 cents each
24 oz jar of traditional pasta sauce $1.19
2 boxes of tissues $1.29 each
bag of tortilla chips $1.19
gallon of 2% milk $2.69
2 bags of flat leaf spinach $1.79
a spiral sliced ham $7.84 (only reason I bought was $5 off making it less than $1 per pound)
corn chips $1.29
bagels $1.49
2 hess avocados 79 cents each

Grand total? $67.82

That Aldi trip? That took out week 3 of the grocery money. Yeah. Uh huh. So NO shopping this week and already, I see I forgot to get cat food and litter, I will need salad greens before much longer .... ack.

AND then ... Saturday Hubby wanted to run to Home Depot so I went along. Not because I like Home Depot (can't stand the place) but to just spend time with him. Then we stopped at Publix (seriously????)

large jar of olives $4.59
jar of baby dill pickles $2.99
2 cans of corn beef has ::gag:: $2 each
2 containers laughing cow cheese wedges (new flavors!) $2.70 each
green peppers $1.80
jalapenos 44 cents
bag of corn chips $3.49
dozen eggs $2.19 (but FREE after buying the corn beef hash)

Grand total? $22.71. The cashier was like "oh, hey, you did good" I'm like huh? What the heck do you mean?? All this stuff is stuff that I either bought ALREADY, we have in the pantry OR I could of bought for half the price at Aldis. Uggg.

All in all? This weekend was and EXCESSIVE weekend and there is NO grocery shopping for the next week.

Linking up with GCC Shopping Roundup ... apparently I'm not the only one over budget!

Clutter Control ... in the Dresser

2012-01-16T05:03:00.000-05:00

It is true. Clutter CAN totally disrupt your life.

And I don't just mean PAPER clutter. I've got issues with clothes. Not necessarily buying them, but a lot of my girlfriends give me their stuff to go through and then I donate. 9 times out of 10, there will be some really CUTE stuff that is just a tad too snug, and I think, ah, I'll lose a couple of pounds, so I stash it in a drawer or hang it in the far corner of the closet.

Yeah. Right. See that happening, do you? Not so much.

So lately, with the new classes I'm taking for exercise, I am spending WAY too much time trying to find a top that fits comfortably, is appropriate for jumping up and down, and not a complete mess with stains, tears, etc. You know how it is.

This morning, I said enough is enough. I pulled everything out of my shirt drawer and tossed them on the bed. Half the stuff isn't even folded any more because I constantly shove stuff around in this drawer. So everything was touched. Picked up, held up, front and back reviewed and if I KNEW it was snug, I put it on the floor to go in the Goodwill bag.

Yes, I did it. Then I moved over to the yoga pant drawer and did the SAME exact thing.

I feel liberated. I am so tempted to just do it to all my drawers but ah, this was a good start, 2 of the 6 drawers ... next up? Socks and swimsuits ... oh no. That will be hard. I have, no kidding, probably 8 to 10 suits ... and not a one of them looks good on my at the moment (pale, fluffy, you know?) ... so I may just wait til like May or so to do that.

How often do YOU purge your clothing?

Menu Plan Monday - Week 3 and NO SHOPPING!

2012-01-15T17:00:00.002-05:00

Yeah. I shouted that ... I told Hubby and I'm sticking to it this week. Of course, now he's mopin around that there's no ice cream. Ummm, sorry. It is what it is.

Geesh. I spent $8 at Publix. $62 at Penn Dutch (granted, got a lot of meat) and THEN I went to Aldis and spent $63. Way over budget and now I must stick with the plan ... I have so much food it's not even funny.

I now realize that I was having a rough week, just personal issues (and dealing with pain) and found myself shopping at the grocery store, browsing, sticking with the list and then some. Ack. Shopping IS therapy, no MATTER what kind of store it is.

On with the plan ...

Sunday - leftover Raunchy Chicken with brocolli and corkscrew pasta

Monday - leftover chili (Hubby made Saturday and we had a group of 8 over for dinner and chillin, it was 54 degrees out!) ... and we still have lots left (I am off this day and plan on cooking meats and such for the remainder of week)

Tuesday - Island Pork with black beans and rice

Wednesday - possibly OUT to Roccos Tacos (I have a substantial gift card still) ... if not, just leftovers then

Thursday - Chicken stirfry of some sort

Friday - Cubanos ... with leftover pork ... hoping to be able to make the cuban bread too ...

Saturday - Ranch Steaks with a side of grilled veggies

So what are YOU making this week?

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday ... go check it out!

Oh yeah, found some other places to link up and get a feel for what other bloggers are cooking ... be sure to check them out:

Crystal and Company and 3 Boys and a Dog for Simple Dinner Ideas ...

Cinnamon Buns, Rolls, whatever you want to call them!

2012-01-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

The recipe originally comes from The Pioneer Woman ... and I've been making them every year for the past 4 years ... of course, I had to count on my fingers and remember key events to get to that number of years ... really, FOUR YEARS??

They aren't hard to make either ... I mean heck, if the Pioneer Woman is making them ... you know that they are GOOD and EASIER than most recipes ... gotta love that about anything!

I still have a HECK of a time gettng rolled tight, but probably cuz I really really load them up with filling. Which is what makes them so good, I think.

I also use brown sugar instead of white ... so there's my one noticable difference in the recipe...give your self 2 days to make these as you can toss the dough in the fridge over night and roll and bake the morning of.

Cinnamon Buns ... my version:

2 cups of milk (I use 2%)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 pkg yeast
4 cups plus 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (make this heaping)
1/2 tsp baking soda (make this 'scant')
1/2 tbs salt (heaping)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
cinnamon

Ready? Get yourself a big pot and add the milk, oil, sugar. Give it a quick whisk and scald the milk ... this is just BEFORE it starts boiling. Make sure the pot is big because it will bubble like mad AND you are going to mix the flour in too.

Once it is scalding go ahead and remove from the heat and let it sit for an hour or so til it cools down some (lukewarm to warm but NOT hot).

Sprinkle the yeast over top of and let that sit for a minute while it does it's foamy action.

Add in your 4 cups of flour. It's going to be a wet soggy mess, but that's ok. Put a lid on it and either let it rest for an hour on your countertop.

Add the 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder and baking soda AND the salt. Stir together. At this time, I would recommend you put in the fridge. It may grow overnight, just punch it down and tell it who's the boss. Personally, I would highly recommend you do the overnight thing. The dough will become much more manageable once it's cool like that. OR you can proceed to finishing them NOW.

::next morning::

Hello and good morning my baby (ummm, surely you talk to your food when excited?). Sprinkle your countertop surface with some flour. Dump the dough out in the middle of all the flour and roll out into a rectangle (now, mind you, it does not need to be perfect).

Take your soft butter and rub it over the surface of the dough. Um, yes, I do use my hands because it's quicker and easier... then sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and then the cinnamon. I don't measure the cinnamon, I just eyeball it, but I'm pretty generous with it.

Roll the rectangle up. I have no easy recommendations on this, except if you have a bench scrapper, use that to assist you where the dough might stick a little. I am still struggling with a TIGHT roll, but it's sufficient.

Once rolled, pinch the seam as much as you can. Cut into 1 inch sections (using the bench scraper, knife, non-waxed floss, etc.).

Place these is a dish that you've sprayed with non stick spray.

Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees til light brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Pull out, and top with glaze. I've made it with powdered sugar and milk with a pinch of vanilla. But I prefer to use canned cream cheese frosting that I've diluted (to make pourable) with milk. I just dump the frosting in a bowl, add a little milk, whisk, add more milk (a little), whisk until it's runny enough.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta Cesar Salad

2012-01-13T11:06:00.001-05:00

I know I've talked about this FAVORITE salad before but gosh, have I really NOT posted a recipe for it? Really??

Well here we are, I'm going to take care of that right NOW!

Head of romaine lettuce, trimmed, washed and torn/cut into bite size pieces
1 grilled chicken breast (I generally use a leftover one) cut into bite size pieces
a little bit of pasta, rigatoni or penne work best
sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese
Cesar Dressing (I prefer Kens Light Cesar)
Croutons

It's so easy. Dump all in large bowl. Mix well to coat evenly. Serve.

See that picture? That is made up of ALL leftovers. Salad, chicken, pasta. All of it. Already made, just recreated into a NEW dish.

Enjoy!

Linking up with GCC Recipe Swap ... go check it out!

Showing a Little Respect

2012-01-13T06:14:00.001-05:00

To your money.

I'm talking about them greenbacks you have floating around there, in your purse. Or maybe in the center counsel of your car. And the little coins? Those too.

See, Hubby drives me NUTS when he gets cash at the bank. There is a good 5 minutes put into the bills all facing the same way, all wrinkles and folds are smoothed out (the corners, OH the corners!) and THEN the money goes in his wallet, Just SO.

Arrrg. It's annoying as all get out.

Only because he's so 'extreme' on odd things like that.

However, don't assume that means I think it's ok for you to toss the money in your purse, or wad it up in your front pocket (or, heaven forbid the BACK pocket).

Lets show a little respect that we work so very hard for.

1. Always, always put your bills in one place, be it a wallet, zipper compartment, whatever, neatly. Keep the bills in order. That makes it much easier to keep TRACK of what you have. I fail at this from time to time, just dropping the change and receipt in my purse after checking out. Ummm, can I tell you how many times I've not located the receipt OR the bills that were folded up with it and just dropped 'casually' in the purse. No no no. Don't do it!

2. Coins. Keep them or toss in a jar? I personally don't keep them in my purse. They weigh it down way too much. Not to mention, I hate digging for them. So I have a jar that sits on the kitchen windowsill and gets emptied out when it's full (just a small little 8 oz jelly jar). Hubby (the annoying one) only puts nickles and pennies in his LARGE jar and keeps the quarters and dimes (there's a reason, but after 30+ years, I still don't really know ... maybe a flashback to payphones??) Whichever floats your boat, stick with it.

3. IF you are using the envelope system, do NOT feel compelled to carry your whole months worth of grocery cash on you. Ummm...that is like waiting for a bad thing to happen, lose the envelope, lose the purse, SPEND it ::gasp:: ... seriously. Only take what you need and tack on 10% more (keeps you accountable too).

4. Show a little love to them bills. Yes, it annoys me, but do get rid of the serious folds when you get the bills. This is CURRENCY ... it's suppose to buy you happiness. Show it some love. You don't need to iron it (although I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Hubby has done that in the past, I know he's washed some in the sink that was disgusting...I told you, he's an odd duck sometimes), but do smooth it out.

5. Show compassion when it's time to hand it over. Are you really ready to part with Mr. Jackson at the drive through window, just because you don't feel like cooking tonight? Really? I won't even ask about Mr. Franklin with his 2 zeros ...

In all seriousness, I think alot of people really do abuse money PHYSICALLY. Wadded up dollar bills, rolled up 20's, people who write things on them (isn't that illegal?) and so on.

So how about YOU? Do you treat your money with respect?

Linking up with Frugal Fridays!

Another Option Coming Soon

2012-01-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

As far as grocery shopping goes, that is ... and only IF you live on the east side of Broward County, Florida.

Folks, they say The Fresh Market is set to open February 1st at 9am.

Yippee! Yahoo....so long Whole Foods and HELLO Fresh Market!

I'm sorry. I DO like Whole Foods but the prices are so dang steep ... there is seriously NO COMPETITION around this side of town. We don't even have a Publix Greenwise this way. And I'm hoping that THIS will help the Food Budget too ...

I told my boss that we may have to just shut the office that morning so we can all go and check it out ... $10 bucks says I can come in LATE at least :D

Ok, so do any of you shop at The Fresh Market? And what is YOUR opinion??

To Coupon ... or NOT?

2012-01-11T06:30:00.001-05:00

I went through the phase there where I'd buy 4 papers on Sunday, print coupons from 5 to 6 different computers (heh, working at an office with reduced staff is good for that) ... AND constantly stalk the coupon notification sites like a hawk. I also would constantly check in on my favorite website for the local grocery chain, Publix. Michelle does a bang up job on the site and IF you have a Publix in your area, you should check it out (I still do but only get what I need, not what's a good deal) ...

I never did get an organization program together that worked for ME although I did try the binder system, the shoe box and the bag. Just had to rely on my memory and lord knows, that leaves a lot of open areas!

Yes. I did save a ton of money. Yes. I did stockpile a LOT of stuff. Yes. I did try a lot of new stuff that I'd never have bought before.

However, I do not coupon like that anymore. Why? Well, several reasons.

Buying stuff just because it's a good deal is not really thrifty if you get right down to it. I mean, sure, it's nice to have 10 bags of chips but who is going to eat them all? YOU? Really? Is that what you want to be eating?

Stockpiling is fine and dandy, and trust me, I'm glad for the supply of pantry items I have at the moment. It should be able to keep me from doing any major shopping for a while (yeah, right. That takes WILLPOWER). However, It's killing me to know that I have all this food, and just the 2 1/2 of us to feed. Not even ... Princess is not home for dinner 70% of the time and Hubby will be traveling 2 of the 4 weeks this month. So that pretty much leaves me (and the Cats) ...

Not to mention, stockpiling on food is not always the healthiest way to go. Yes, some of it is, but the majority of stuff is so stuffed with preservatives the list of ingredients tops 20 ... I was aiming for 5 maximum for a while there and gave up on that ...

And then there is this: Cash is cash, and when it's gone, it's gone. I find myself (just this past Saturday, matter of fact) walking the aisles looking for a certain product that I had a coupon for and lo and behold, other items make it in my cart because a: it looks like a good deal; b: it looks yummy/interesting/tempting and c: there's a coupon on the package to encourage me to try. Umm, that list with 5 or 6 items turned into a cart with 25 items for about $50 more than I should have spent. I had that $5 off $50 tucked in my wallet just in case, along with the $1 off produce, $1 off fresh meat, $1 off dairy, cat litter coupon and that was all I was suppose to get. Ick. Whipped out the debit card as it was more than the cash in my wallet (the debit card is now tucked away in a safe spot at home til I go to the bank for the next withdrawal). Coupons, I think, make ME spend MORE at the chance for a good deal. That's the way I am.

So, for the most part, I do NOT coupon anymore. I do clip coupons for cat litter (the kind that I like, not Tidy Cat), cat food, dairy products (cheese especially), juices, and any time I see meat or produce (but not the bagged salad stuff ::shudder::). Health and beauty items, yes, but I've been buying that stuff from Costco for a while there rather then trying to play the Drug Store Game ... and that's pretty much it. Oh, I do grab the beer/wine coupons when I see them ... and let's not forget the $5 off $50 that Publix will honor from Albertson's ad every week or so. I suppose I should say that I do use coupons but ONLY for things that I buy anyways. NOT TIDY CAT (pet peeve!)

This is NOT to say that I won't go back to it more actively someday. But at this stage in my life, it's not worth the time and effort for stuff that I don't need/use/want. Sonny Boy will call me frequently and ask where he can find a coupon for something (and seriously, that makes me so proud of him for seeing the value in that) ...

Do you coupon? And if so, what IS your strategy? This is what Works For Me for the time being.

This is being posted over at the Year of Zero site too ... if you haven't check it out, you should ... I'm going to journal the Year of Zero ... well, as close as I can anyways!

Menu Plan Monday - Week 2!

2012-01-08T20:44:00.001-05:00

It's time to link up for the Menu Plan Monday ...

Hubby is traveling to California Wednesday and returns on Friday ... so there are 2 nights where it will most likely be just ME. I sort of like that, you know?

Of course, aiming to hit the new classes 3 times this week (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) ... I may even go for a 4th but I don't know ... and of course, if I keep indulging, I will need to go 5 days a week ...

I spent $92 at Publix on Saturday, way more than I planned ... which is why the $280 cash I have is going in to respective envelopes Monday night. Technically, I only have about $25 left for this week on groceries. NOT A PROBLEM, right? Shouldn't be but for whatever reason, I am having a hard time saying NO. With Hubby being out, I should be able to do it ... but the weekend could be a problem ...

Sunday - Burgers and dogs (all from freezer)

Monday - chicken with stir fry veggies (all from freezer)

Tuesday - leftover burgers (thinking of making a mushroom gravy maybe and doing them over noodles)

Wednesday - steak salad for ME (yummm)

Thursday - nachos for ME

Friday - Hubby back, raunchy chicken in the crockpot with taters (chicken in freezer as are taters)

Saturday - Hubby's choice ... gotta let him make a decision around here occasionally.

So what are YOU cooking up this week??

Craving Hot Chocolate

2012-01-06T18:16:00.002-05:00

It's been downright chilly here this past week! I mean, seriously, having to turn the heat on in the mornings is really cramping my style ...

And of course, the kids (mini adults) are looking for hot chocolate packets, which we have N. O. N. E. because, well, they aren't as cheap as they used to be and no one really drinks that stuff anymore, and NOW, they are not on the list of necessities

So ... I 'hear' that you can mix up some yummy chocolaty goodness with Nutella and warm milk.

Ha. Who would have thought?? And so dang easy, it's not even funny ...

a cupful of milk, microwaved to desired heat (ok, don't burn it, alright?)
1 teaspoon (you know, the flatware, not measuring) of nutella.

Take the teaspoon with nutella and stir it up in the cup. Stir vigorously, taste and add more if desired.

I actually stopped stirring and reheated my milk a little more (for about 2 minutes total time) to get the stuff to melt a little more.

Ohhh and ahhh. Sip, smack lips and say "good stuff" without all them preservatives!

Seriously, yummy. I always have Costco size Nutella in the house (ummm, Sonny Boy lived his last year or two of high school on pb & nutella sandwiches, remember?)....another excellent use for the stuff! I'm wishing I had tried this when Sonny Boy was here, he would have LOVED it! I know he has Nutella at his apartment so I may just text it to him...cuz that's the kind of mom I am!

And gosh, now I'm feeling a little guilty for being defiant on the white (not chocolate!) chili linkup with Life As Mom ... so maybe I better go link this up? =D ... also linking up with GCC and Made Famous By ... go check them all out!

Eggs - a question

2012-01-05T08:28:00.000-05:00

I love eggs. Like, I eat them pretty much at least 5 of the 7 days a week. Scrambled, fried, over easy, hard boiled, any which way, I love them.

And it 'used' to be a cheap source of protein ... I'd buy 3 dozen EXTRA large from Costco for about $3 or so ...

NOW?

What the heck happened? All of a sudden, that 3 dozen is now like $6. Huh. And I noticed those that buy the 5 dozen pk paying almost $10 as opposed to the $5. Doubled in price. I actually didn't buy any the last time I was at Costco ... I know that Aldis used to have them at 99 cents to $1.29 a dozen ... not sure what they would be now with the trend I'm seeing (thankful that I still have 3 1/2 dozen left but still, just used 5 this morning between Sonny Boy and I).

I've not seen anything on the news about this and now feel the need to go and investigate this myself.

Anyone know what's happened? Did the chickens/hens go on strike or something??

A Boy and His Burger

2012-01-05T07:23:00.001-05:00

This is just to show you how, if you leave a 19 year old boy alone, he gets creative with his food ... and declares that perhaps, he should become a chef (NO, DON'T DO IT!) ...

It all started with the Juicy Lucy failure (cheese explosions do not bode well on a gas grill, lets just leave it at that). So then I had to remake new burgers (pulling out the cheese on the remaining raw burgers and re-patting out).

The kids (mini adults?), well, they were just very unhappy about that. I promised Juicy Lucys and they were now going to get plain ole 80/20 burgers? There was quite a bit of grumbling going on, trust me.

Luckily, Hubby was also frying up some frys (frie frie, frie frie, I'm gonna get me some frie fries!) and onion rings ... and well, look what happens?

We all had a pretty big laugh and lasting joke about the disproportionate size of the bun to the burger (Where's The Beef??)

I don't suppose I need to worry too much about him making food to eat at college, huh?

Hot Spinach/Artichoke Dip (REPOST with Pictures!)

2012-01-04T19:17:00.001-05:00

It's the MOST Wonderful Time of the Year .... and that means ... BOAT PARADE PARTY ... which also means ... yummy food that's only made at this time of the year .... woohoo!!

My favorite, that is MY recipe that Hubby loves and tells everyone about the Spinach Dip. Um hmmm. I've been known to lay in bed the following morning with a small bowl heated up for breakfast (the things we do for hangovers).

It's fairly easy, but not a dump and go recipe for once ... but so worth the extra dishes and work for the end result.

1 jar marinated artichokes, drained
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella
1/3 cup half and half (or milk, cream)
1/2 cup sour cream

Blend artichokes, Romano and Parmesan cheese in food processor til minced (but not quite pasty).

Squeeze spinach with hands to get the as much liquid as possible out. Add spinach to large bowl and break up as it will be compact. Add half and half, sour cream and mozzarella to large bowl and mix well.

Spoon artichoke mixture into this bowl and stir to combine well. Should have medium thick texture.

Spray shallow oven proof baking dish and pour mix into baking dish. Smooth out the top. I usually use a ceramic pie pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes til bubbly and brown around edges.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips (you can heat them in the oven for a few minutes to make them warm just like the restaurants if desired).

So I sort of, kind of shoved a guest out of the way to get one lonely shot before it was devoured.

Occasionally, I will add diced red onions and bacon bits on top ... just to change things a little!

Enjoy.

PROMISE to upload pictures as soon as I make it this time around ... I'm trying. NOTE: I've not made this yet as we had to cancel the party due to my Mom. But I plan on making it for the Christmas New Years Eve weekend and will post pictures THEN.

Linking up with GCC Recipe Swap and URS ... check it out!

White Chili

2012-01-04T19:09:00.001-05:00

Is it necessary to add the word "chicken" to White Chili? Just doesn't roll very well ... Chicken White Chili. White Chicken Chili (well, it IS white chicken) ... Chili Chicken? Chicken Chili (that is white)? Eh. Whatever.

This recipe HAS chicken in it folks, in case you were wondering!

It's also a rather spontaneous crockpot toss together (8am sharp Wednesday morning) and totally blew the menu plan out of the water for the day...which is fine.

White Chili (with Chicken!)

2 or 3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (I just happened to have a LARGE bag in the freezer of Chicken Ropo Vieja that I grabbed a few big hunks out of)

Umm, yeah, that does say 03/2011

1 32oz carton of chicken broth (and half of a 2nd carton too if you have, otherwise, water)
1 jalapeno pepper, diced fine
cumin (a generous shake or two, more)
dehydrated onions, same as above (or fresh if you have time which I didn't)
2 cans of cannelloni beans, drained.

Guess how you do it? That's right, dump it all in, turn on low and go to work for the day.

Field phone calls, text messages and emails asking what's in the crockpot ... answer how you see fit. Being I was busy, I couldn't get too creative with my answers, so I simply said "White Chili like stuff".

An old girlfriend gave this to me as she didn't have room in her apt for such an appliance :)

Go home, stir up the contents, root around for shredded cheese and sour cream (surely there's some left over from the holidays??) and dish up in some nice bowls. Oh look, there's some green onions too!

Yummy ...

Point to the toppings and tell the gang to top as they wish as you stand by the sink, slurping off the spoon. Reach for some Franks Hot Sauce and give a liberal sprinkle of that too ...

Yummm ... perfect for the cold day we had!

Linking up with URS ... come on over and see what else is there! Just for the record: Jessica is offering up Chocolate stuff today ... what's up with that?? It's the New Year, Pantry Challenge at that AND she's giving us chocolate??? I am NOT posting any chocolate recipes this month. None. =D

Taming the Laundry Beast

2012-01-03T18:17:00.004-05:00

I'm fortunate in that it's mostly just the three of us that live here and produce dirty clothes. Well, Sonny Boy was here recently too ... but he leaves in 2 more days (sob).

We do go through a LOT of clothing though ... and that generates quite a bit of laundry for just three. Hubby has his work clothes and then his gym clothes ... and trust me, those need washed after each wearing.

I have my work clothes and then my after work clothes, gym clothes, depending on what I do after work. And those get washed after each wearing ...

Princess has HER work clothes (and as a cook, they MUST be washed after each wearing) and then her numerous items that are worn throughout the following 2 or 3 hours she's out of work. What is it with girls, grown mini adults that they STILL wear 3 to 4 outfits a day?

There, now you have a visual of the amount of clothing. Dare we go to the towels? Kitchen, baths, cats, etc. O. M. G.

Before you know it, there could be a laundry monster in the house. YIKES.

But never fear ... I have a few rules that I follow to keep it under control. Only occasionally does it rear it's ugly head (now, for instance with the holidays, extra people in and out, etc.) and I know how to get it back in it's little cage.

1. Don't let it pile up. EVERYONE must have their laundry in the laundry room, in the CORRECT hamper/basket. I am not going to sort out the dirty clothes ... they should be sorted the moment they hit the laundry room. It takes time (and I'm still training!) to get everyone to spot their own clothing. I do not spot unless I know there is something there ... irritating that everyone still whines to me about stuff like this =D So, if you can instruct your group to spot treat when they dump the clothes in the correct hamper/basket, you have one up!

2. Make certain days laundry days. No, you don't have to wash ALL of it in one day. But make Tuesday a dark day and Friday a white day. Breaking it up makes it more manageable. Because the end goal is to do that load of laundry from start to finish NOW.

3. Move clothes to washer immediately. And then remove from dryer as soon as the bell tolls. Seriously. Don't let the clean, beautiful smelling clothes sit in the dryer til tomorrow night. Wrinkles are NOT your friend.

4. Fold, iron and PUT AWAY immediately. The kids put away their own clothes. I fold. I iron. I put away mine and Hubby's. The kids get their basket with nicely folded clothes. IF they leave those clothes in the basket where I need to go hunt the basket down the next laundry day, they hear about it. I put all that work into it, you better do your part =D.

I do have a laundry room, which shares space with the cat box. And a few other miscellaneous items (bread maker is under the cabinet, cleaning supplies, sewing machine and such in another cabinet) ... and it can get clutter-y. I make it a point every few weeks to go in and clear out the clutter and organize ... it makes doing the laundry a little more enjoyable.

Yes, I do line dry quite frequently. When moving the clothes from washer to dryer, a lot of my work clothes are pulled out and hung on a clothes rack in the guest room. Occasionally I'll be ambitious and line dry the WHOLE load, and while I've not been doing this much lately, if the electric bill gets to high, I will go back to it. My only issue with doing this is that the laundry is not 'complete' til the next day or so and if I've got other chores slated, well, that just makes more work for me then. Trust me, if I didn't work full days and half evenings (that extra job is taking my time) I'd be all for it, but not lately.

So there you have it, my four simple tips to Tame the Laundry Beast. Definitely Works For Me! How about you? What are you doing to keep it under control?

Oh, and PS: You can get 4 100oz bottles of Tide Laundry Soap for $47.88 and knock the price down to $40.70 if you sign up for Subscribe and Save (I did this recently, first shipment will be here on Friday because honestly, the cheapest I've seen a 100oz even with a coupon is $14) ... you can select how often you want the shipment to come and I've done it every 4 months ... BE SURE TO LOOK FOR AN ADDITIONAL $2.00 OFF at bottom of page.

Salads for Every Season - Free Kindle download

2012-01-03T16:36:00.001-05:00

Here's another freebie for you Kindle users!

I've been a little bummed that I can't find many cookbooks that are free ... but there are a few. I just download Salads for Every Season last night and got a couple of new ideas ...

NOTE: As always, check to be sure it's still $0 as they change frequently!

Check it out and let me know what you think?

Using a Kindle Without Breaking the Bank!

2012-01-02T16:32:00.004-05:00

Ok, before you get all excited, this is NOT a post to show you ALL the available free books for a Kindle. Just so you know.

Hubby finally listened to me when I told him what I wanted for Christmas. I wanted a Kindle or a new iPod (my current one is stuck on a high volume and I can't turn it down)...he got me the Kindle Fire.

I love it so far.

I've read one book in the past week and am currently reading my second one. This will so help me get back in to reading ... I love to read but there are just so many issues to be had (my eyes get tired and difficult to focus after a long day on the computer at work, can't read in dim light, etc.)

Can I just tell you ... I can sit in a dark room and read comfortably! The back light on the screen is adjustable and so great to have.

Anyways. On to the purpose of this post!

I fired the new toy up immediately and started browsing titles and authors that I KNEW I wanted to read. Imagine my surprise and disappointment to find that most of the books were in the $9.99 price range. Umm, hello? If I want to spend that much money on a book, I'd just buy a paper version, you know? So my balloon just deflated and I was so bummed. But that evening, I played around some more (found out how to blog from it, but man it's difficult to do) ... and discovered a few little secrets (for me!)

Amazon offers several different options go get the free books. You can sign up for Amazon Prime and be a part of the member library. Which is sort of crappy in that you can only borrow ONE book a month ... and I already read it! When you buy the Kindle, you are automatically enrolled for a free month of Prime ... which will also allow you to watch unlimited movies, get free 2 day shipping on any item purchased (there are certain terms and conditions of course!) The cost, however, is $79 a year and I'm not so sure I will continue once my 30 days is up.

Another way to get the free books is to simply browse Amazon.com and select the Kindle and then type in FREE and it will give you a list (Pride and Prejudice is one of them and I remember reading that in High School!) ... here's a link ... the link definitely shows a lot of classic reading!

The other way is to simply follow a blog or two that specializes in finding FREE Kindle books. Don't download a book for $2.99, please, that tells you HOW to find the free books ...

I've been following along on Jungle Deals and Steals and so far so good. Just remember that the "freebie" drops pretty quickly so be sure its FREE still before you click to purchase it. I've not signed up to receive emails as of yet but maybe at a later date, I will. The option is on the right hand side of the home page ...

And that, my friends, is keeping with Rule #3 which makes me pretty darn happy! ;)

How do you get FREE books for your Kindle? If you'd like to share a link or suggestions, feel free to in the comments section, or shoot me an email!

Linking up with Frugal Fridays!

Menu Plan - New Year!

2012-01-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

Ahhh...Happy New Year everyone.

I am thrilled that 2012 has finally arrived. And just for the record, I don't believe the world will come to an end this year ... at least it better not with all the goals I have for the year!

So here we are, another week ... and really, it should be like any other week just about ... but not so here. See, Sonny Boy heads back to school on Friday and I have this ache in my heart that just won't go away ... what up with that?? How can a 19 year old boy, that I gave birth to, fought tooth and nail to prevent his name from being HAROLD (Hal for short, after a great grandfather) cause this much of a tug on the heart ... still after all these years?

Anyways. It's Monday and it's time to link up for the Menu Plan Monday! Hop on board and go link!

Sunday - we had ton of leftovers from Saturday but still opted to make Juicy Lucy. Ummm cheese explosion not a good thing.

Monday - Baked shrimp scampi with pasta ...bumped from last week

Tuesday - its suppose to be cold today and tonight so thinking of chicken tortilla soup in crockpot (I've already got the chicken cooked in the freezer so will just toss the other ingredients in crockpot for a few hours with the chicken).

Wednesday - OUT because we haven't done our date night in a while and we also haven't taken anyone of the kids out to eat either!

Thursday - Chicken and broccoli with a side of rice (Sonny Boy is gone)

Friday - Tbone steaks ... in the freezer with some veggies on the side

Saturday - Linguine with white clam sauce and garlic bread

I think I can get away without having to stop at the store this week. At least I hope so ... I would like to go back to Costco and pick up a few things for Sonny Boy before he heads out but I don't think we will have time for that.

So how about YOU? What are you planning for the week??

2012-01-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

Happy

New

Year!

Welcome 2012!

Going Out With A Bang!

2011-12-31T15:06:00.002-05:00

I suppose you could say I'm going out with a bang after the 'quick' trip to Costco?

$40 in gas ($3.23 a gallon)

And then the shop WITH a list, which was pretty much stuck to ... but still...

Paper towels $14.89
80ct Coffeehouse kcups $37.99
5 lb beefsteak tomatoes $6.99
36 pk water $3.75
dozen croissants $5.99
TP $17.99
Aidell chicken hotdogs (1 was apple other is pineapple, delicious) $10.99 x 2
6 pk romaine $4.29
24 oz bag o' Ruffles $5.29 (hey, better than $7.99)
large bag of organic tortilla chips $4.89
8 pk Torta sandwich rolls $5.99
72 ct dayquil $14.29
72 ct nyquil $14.29
18 oz wedge of percorino romano $9.54
1 lb of Coastal Cheddar $6.99
18 pk protein bars $17.69 (score, the price dropped!)
36 ct welchs fruit snacks $10.59
12 pk 5" burger buns $2.39 (for the juicy lucys)
90 ct EmergenC $19.49
2 lb organic spinach leaves $4.29
string cheese $9.49
large jug fresh pico de gallo $5.49
2 pkgs fully cooked steak strips $12.99 each (for my steak salads and other things)
2 lb bag of peeled garlic $4.99
2 lb strawberries $3.99
3 pk english cukes $3.99
2% milk $3.35

I skipped the eggs, over $5 now for 36 ... the price really went up fast. Also skipped a few other things as the price is just not what it used to be.

I stood in line at the Pharmacy for oh, 10 minutes, just to get the real-deal Sudafed. Handed over my Costco card and debit card and realized that I didn't have my license with me. Crumb. Which is why I got the other stuff. Uggg.

So, grand total? $289.49. Geesh. Just about the amount that would have been swept over to my savings account in the morning. Bummer.

Then it was the place to fill the spare propane tank $20.00

Then Publix for cocktail sauce $3.36

Then 7-11 for ice (forgot to get at Publix), 40 lbs for $10+ ... good Lord.

Yeah, I am going out with a bang!

Happy Hour Friday!

2011-12-30T17:50:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm NOT starting the New Year celebration just yet, but I'm ready!

A girlfriend of mine turned me on to these yummy shots one night when we got together to listen to a local band that we try to support (sob, those days are over come Sunday) ... and I'm shocked that they cost $7 to $10 a shot. One round is pretty much my drink budget for the night!

So I've asked bartenders over time how they make it and they ALL do it the same exact way. So while I was in the liquor store buying the bubbly stuff for tomorrow night, I took out my phone, cued up google and looked up the recipe (hey, much as I hate this modern technology, tie me to the phone stuff, this is COOL to be able to do!) and lo and behold, I'm set! (FYI - it's apparently so dang popular that Crown even has it their website!

Washington Apples ... oh yummm

1/3 crown royal
1/3 sour apple schnapps
1/3 cranberry juice
Splash of 7up if desired (I don't believe I've ever had that before?)

Mix the first 3 in a shaker over ice and shake, strain and serve in shots. This makes ONE shot so obviously, increase the amounts for a group. I hate to say it but this may take away the Lemon Drop Girl Power shots.

FYI - I've got one girl friend who orders her's with Jamison Whisky. Ummm, no thanks but if you prefer that try it!

Enjoy and drink responsibly!

Menu Plan Monday - last week of the year

2011-12-26T19:04:00.000-05:00

At last, we are finally coming to the end of 2011. Yes, that makes me pretty darn happy for quite a few reasons ...

So here we are, heading in to the last week ... and I think I'm going to keep the menu plan simple and use up what we have on hand ... still want to get to Costco, but may just hold out til the end of the week, if not even in to the NEW YEAR which will sort of put a crimp in the budget plan for 2012.

So here's where we are, December 26th (I didn't post the menu for Sunday, it was Christmas and we had lasagna, garlic bread, fried cheese sticks, plenty of good wine and well, no consumable tap water).

Monday - leftovers, between lasagna and italian beef. Take your pick!

Tuesday - Going to try this baked shrimp scampi, making it a half recipe though. I believe I have everything on hand to make it (including wine).

Wednesday - Tacos (using ground turkey) ... again, have everything on hand EXCEPT the shells, which I'm sure I have a taco kit in the pantry to scarf up the shells if necessary)

Thursday - Soup and sandwiches (grilled cheese and ham).

Friday - Hubby bought some mushrooms, so considering a chicken marsala dish

Saturday - New Years Eve ... we will probably have a few friends over and take a cab down to Las Olas and A1A before midnight (although, I'd rather stay in) ... will make an assortment of mini quiches, spinach dip, sliced sausage and cheese and crackers, a cracker spread, maybe some bread and a dipping sauce to go along ...

Sunday will be the start of my exciting adventure ... I'm fully psyched!

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday!

Last Minute Gifts - $5 Magazine Subscriptions

2011-12-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

Amazon is offering $5 magazine subscriptions up until 12/26 which is 2 days away ...

I went ahead and ordered my SIL Good Housekeeping and Women's Day ... need to review MINE and see when my current subscription expires.

So if you are looking for a quick last minute inexpensive gift, hop on over and take a peek at what's offered.

The Binder In Process

2011-12-24T06:04:00.009-05:00

I'm getting ready for the Big 2012 Challenge, and at this very moment, I'm perfectly comfortable with the approach.

I've been planning for a few months and this past month has really pushed me to start the reduced spending a little sooner (of course, the generous bonuses sort of took the edge off and helped me with a few troubling bills) ...

One of the things that I am so hoping that I can stay FOCUSED on is the use of two binders I set up. BOTH binders came from the office, free and were going to be thrown away (gasp) by my boss. I quickly claimed ownership before he could do the toss!

One is strictly for tax purposes, tracking income and expenses. 100%. I anticipate that I will have 3 or 4 1099's at the end of the 2012 so I want to be sure I can get my tax writeoffs where I can. Rather than dreading the month of April (2013), I'm hoping this will help me be way ahead of the game and ready by mid February. The binder is divided into twelve sections, one for each month. There is a cover page for income and a two additional pages for expenses. This should really help me out, I think. I plan on each month having a total for income and total of business expenses.

The other binder is for all income and all expenses. It will also track of the balances of credit cards, month to month (and hopefully I will see them hit ZERO much sooner than if I didn't track them).

Again, it's separated into twelve sections, one for each month. The first page of each month is a breakdown of the budget with a column next to each allowance for the ACTUAL cost.

I will apply the snowball effect on the credit cards with hopes that I will see zero on all by the end of the year. I am dedicated $400 off the top to credit card payments. How crappy is that to have to be back in that situation?

I am also budgeting money towards the savings account each month. This will be treated like any other bill.

I added a page for comments, notes and thoughts. In other words, what was difficult to deal with, what was rewarding, what needs to be re-evaluated and so on. This binder will almost be like a journal!

If you really want to see my REAL BUDGET, then hop over here. I've not included Sonny Boy's monthly money for food as I'm really hoping that he's getting a job and can get his own food. I give him approximately $25 to $30 a week which is nothing when milk is $4 a gallon. This of course will have to be re-evaluated and worked out, I'm sure.

Are you ready for the New Year yet?

Linking up with Works For Me Wednesday and Frugal Fridays ...

2 Days Before Christmas

2011-12-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

It's Friday.

I got to work a half day (yippee!) and spent the next 2 hours at the cooking school getting a gift for Hubby and then another hour at Target and the mall.

Sent Sonny Boy to the other end of mall on a mission while I finished up my shopping.

I'm D. O. N. E.

And I am perfectly comfortable with the amount of money I spent. And the gifts I bought.

Nothing elaborate but nothing too garbage-y either. Sorry kids, but you did NOT get the new Bass or the new MacBook. Just not in the budget this year.

But they will understand.

I had Sonny Boy wrap up Princess's gifts and she will wrap up his when she gets home from work. I need elves this year. Not to mention, its good for them to do these types of things. No, really, I'm not making excuses. It's not considered child labor when they are 19 and 21!

Hubby got a few higher end items that he wanted. I'm hoping he's pleased with the selection. I'm sure he will be ... but the one thing for the kitchen I was just not quite sure about. So I kept THAT receipt in my purse, just in case.

We do not exchange gifts with friends or neighbors, but I will be baking cookies this evening (need to get scootin on that!) and cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.

Are all your gifts wrapped and completed? Are you happy with what you've bought?

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-12-20T12:58:00.002-05:00

Being Frugal can sometimes cramp my style ... you know, the Beauty Queen within =D

But, I do have a few things that I feel are extremely important, and though they may cost a little upfront, in the end, I can do without all the other things that most beauty queens call a necessity in life ...

Baking Soda ...

Yeah, the most awesome cleaner for EVERYTHING that I've taken to using 3 times a week on my face with the leftovers being used on my feet ...

Eyelash curler...

At the ripe age of 46, my hairdresser introduced me to this little gadget. A little intimidating the first few times but man oh man, what an EYE OPENER! Seriously! (tip: warm the rubber between your palms a few seconds before using AND do it after eyeliner is applied but before mascara is). This is the one I use, it was $19 but has a lifetime refill on the grippy things.

BIG Velcro Pink Rollers ....

Got these from Target for $8 a while ago. After washing my hair in the morning, while it's still damp, I roll these in. Let them hang out for 40 minutes to an hour (sometimes less) and just like that, major volume. Like BIG...love them. You can do it the following day too (a no wash day for ME) ... either way, it just gives your hair oomph...whenever I do it, someone always compliments the hair .... (tip: if you have long thick hair like me, just secure them at your scalp with a bobby pin, you will NOT get the little ridge!)

Smudgeproof liner...

Yes, this is a little expensive. $18 to be exact. But it last a long time ... and it doesn't smudge! Tip, buy with a coupon (ULTA always has $3 off $10 so you can get it for about $15).

Eye drops - I use Publix brand as it's the same as Visine. A drop in each eye before putting on my eyeliner, curling the lashes and applying mascara. Makes the whites really pop =D

Yes, these simpe things Work For Me ... don't you have anything that makes you feel more special, beauty-wise?

Snowball Cookies

2011-12-20T07:33:00.001-05:00

Also known as Mexican wedding cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, etc. We call them Snowballs because, well, we DON'T get snow down here and when the kids were little, they thought it was cool ... not to mention, they do sort of resemble a snowball ... don't they?

I love these things. Perfect to just pop in your mouth (any other way makes a mess) and they are just yummy ... butter and powdered sugar can't go too wrong!

I use chocolate chips instead of the usual nuts because for awhile there, we thought Sonny Boy might have a nut allergy. Turns out we were wrong, but I still make these without nuts.

2 sticks soft butter (ummm, don't MELT it)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips (mini are perfect, but regular are fine if that's what you have)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla in your mixer (or use a hand beater) until all fluffy and pretty. Resist the urge to eat a spoonful ...

Add in 1/2 cup of flour and a little of the chips and mix in til combined. Keep adding until all is incorporated.

Drop 1 inch balls onto ungreased baking sheet, about an inch or so apart. Bake 14 to 15 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and cool 5 minutes on sheet.

Roll the slightly cooled cookies in the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and allow to cool completely before packaging.

NOTE: The sugar will melt and get gooey IF you don't let them cool. IF they cool too much, the sugar won't stick =D.

Enjoy! (Keep checking back and I"ll get some pics up ... promise)

Linking up with URS over at Life As Mom ...

A Week Without

2011-12-19T18:47:00.000-05:00

I'd like to make this a no grocery shopping week ... but don't know if I can.

How about if I give myself $20 only?

That's more doable.

I need:

bread (Sonny Boy is home)
milk
hash browns (still on sale, can get 2 large bags for about $1.50 ... need for soup and Hubby cooked up 2 over the weekend)
salad stuff
cat food/litter while on sale.

Seriously, I don't need to buy anything but the first 2 items, and even that can wait. The rest of the stuff, well, hash browns are a 'stock up price' and the cat food is free when you buy the cat litter.

I do need to get the Christmas shopping out of the way. As I'm not all that festive, and pretty much financially tapped out at the moment, things will be simple, gift cards, lottery tickets, sparkling juice (yes, my kids are getting a bottle bag this year!), ear buds, candy, led flashlights, and if I can find them cheap enough, all in one tool set. I've got a pretty specific list of things to get and just need to go and do it. OH ... wrapping paper. What's up with that, I have NONE left from last year.

Hubby's gift arrived while we were out of town unexpectedly. I need to find something inexpensive related to Hello Kitty for the girlfriend. And that's it. I'm done!

Coco Late Patties

2011-12-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hubby loves these and I know is anxiously waiting for me to make them. They are so easy (3 ingredients) and come from our friend Martha Stewart ...

The beauty of these is there is no baking of the cookies, but you do need to toast the coconut (note: I used to hate coconut in the bag but once I toasted it, I realized this is how it's suppose to be used! Try it!)

1 bag of shredded coconut
1 bag of chocolate chips
8 to 12 drops of almond extract (to your taste, it's powerful stuff. I've used vanilla successfully too)

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the coconut in a thin layer. Place in oven at 350 and toast about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove and allow to cool completely. (TIP: I always make MORE and set aside extra in glass jar for Hubby to top stuff with, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream)

Melt your chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Remember that there is a fine line in melting and burning so use caution with the microwave (personally I wouldn't do it that way).

Add toasted coconut (keep the parchment paper and tray handy!) and extract to melted chocolate and stir til combined. Press 1 tbs mixture on the parchment paper, trying to keep a "mound" pressing gently.

Refrigerate cookies til completely set, about 20 minutes. These are best kept cool for obvious reasons =D

Chicken Parmesan - another hit!

2011-12-18T19:54:00.001-05:00

It's so easy, even a Caveman can do it (quick, name that commercial!) ... whatever. No points to be had!

I knew that I had everyone home for dinner tonight so I wanted to make something easy, that would please the masses AND that was yummy ... needless to say, this fit all three!

Not a whole lot of ingredients either, and I had everything on hand so I was able to spend the whole weekend without spending a single dime. Score!

Original recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman (who by the way, hardly ever fails me ... only once, the chicken pasta casserole dishy thing) ... but here's how I made mine:

2 jumbo size still attached, boneless/skinless chicken breast (these come from Penn Dutch)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
3/4 cup wine (I used white)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbs butter
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cheese, mozzarella and/or Parmesan. I used a combination as that's what I had on hand
1 lb cooked spaghetti

Slice breast thin, horizontally. I was able to get 4 slices per breast. Best way to do this is lay palm flat on top of breast to hold and apply pressure evenly while slowly slicing. Obviously, use the sharpest knife you have. Your other option would be to pound the heck out of 4 breast and cut in half. Nah.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. I used my stainless steel pan because we will be deglazing and it's hard to do on a non-stick pan.

Put flour on plate (I use paper for easier cleanup), add salt and pepper, and dredge chicken in flour on both sides to lightly coat. Shake off excess and lay carefully in pan. Allow chicken to cook, without moving, for about 2 minutes, til edges start to brown. Turn over and brown the other side, remove to dish to keep warm and repeat with remaining chicken.

Once done, add a little more olive oil if needed and toss in onions and garlic. Saute til soft and then pour in the wine, scrapping the yummy bits off bottom of pan.

Let wine simmer and cook down til thickened, and then add all the sauce, along with 2 tsp sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add chicken to the sauce, pressing down into the sauce. Top with cheese, cover pan and let simmer til cheese is melted.

Put small mound of pasta on dish, top with chicken and pour a little extra sauce over the top.

This was so good. Hubby requested that I cook down the onions a little more next time (he hates chunky stuff in the sauce). I think I'll chop them up finer next time.

Serve with salad and garlic bread. Yummm...

Menu Plan Monday ... Heading in to the Holidays!

2011-12-18T10:22:00.002-05:00

I lost the past two weeks of menu planning due to the unexpected happening. I'm also having a difficult time in that it's the final week to Christmas. I've not gotten ANYTHING yet. Panic is starting to set in. The good news? I've got a list and I'm sticking with it. Things will be slimmer than years past due to the lack of time (and planning), the lack of funds (amazing what unexpected happenings can do to your savings account) and also, because I'm ready for my next Big Adventure ... this is just leading up to it =D

Sonny Boy is home, as are all the other Boys that hang out (members of the band) and Princess is thrilled that some of her friends are in too, so I'm guessing a few nights may have more than the usual people eating dinner ...

I'm still trying to be resourceful (still) in using what I have on hand ... my big adventure is almost starting 2 weeks early. With all the stuff that I bought from Costco still in the fridges, we will be eating fairly well, I expect.

So, with all that spelled out, here's what the plan is for the week:

Sunday - Chicken Parmesan with a salad (olivegardeny dressing) and garlic bread

Monday - Potato Soup and salad. If the kids are so inclined, they can have a sandwich too ... I want to show Sonny Boy and his girlfriend how EASY this is to make and that THEY can make this once they go back to school (no, they don't live together but rotate back and forth between apartments for dinners)

Tuesday - Raunchy chicken with mashed taters. Quite certain that I will have at least 2 teens/mini adults to feed in addition to the rest of us. Sonny Boy doesn't eat fowl but his girlfriend might like this for her and the roomies.

Wednesday - Hubby's old friend is coming in town for the night so we will make italian beef along with a pasta salad to fill in.

Thursday - Leftovers ... whatever is remaining! I'm sort of, kind of leaning towards making an enchilada dish since I have a few bookmarked to try but this will depend on the leftover situation.

Friday - I've still got the steaks in the freezer, and think I will be pulling them out. OR I could just save the enchiladas for tonight. Although it is Christmas weekend ... I don't know at this point if I'm working just a half day or if at all, same for Monday coming up ...

Saturday - as horrible as it may be, we have a Christmas Eve tradition in that we all get McDonalds to go and eat it at home. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we've not grown out of it since Christmas will be a little bittersweet for all of us this year.

Linking up with Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday ... go check it out!

Discovering New Things

2011-12-16T14:04:00.000-05:00

We had every intention on having the boat parade.

That didn't happen.

But while Hubby was traveling, I was busy preparing...because as far as I could see, we were having about 30 people over.

So I did the Big Shop.

And I went to the liquor store.

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, to be exact. Had I been thinking more in line with things, I would have went to Total Wine & More as they are ALWAYS a little cheaper. But oh well, I wasn't thinking clearly, apparently.

Can I tell you how much I love the holidays and liquor stores? All them special packages for the holiday gift giving ...

And I got myself some Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka with 4 sample bottles.

$28.00 (about)

So my original intention was to make some Espresso Martinis. Just because. And my goal was to make sure EVERYONE woke up with sticky hair the next morning. Because when you drink a martini out of a martini GLASS, you are bound to spill it all over you. If you are like ME, you lean in to protect it and well, long hair is a great way to sop up a spill.

Anyways.

Hubby and I made our way to the bar the other night and he was asking about the vodka. So I told him what the plan had been. Then I admired the pretty label bottle and wondered what it smelled like.

Opened the bottle and sniffed.

O M G! Just like a shot of espresso.

Seriously. Took a little sip. Straight out of the bottle.

Died and went to heaven to be with Mom. Well not really, but good Lord.

Poured some over ice, shook it up and strained and had myself a nice little glass of chilled Espresso Vodka.

Highly recommend, except, maybe NOT on a school night (aka Thursday).

So what have YOU tried new lately?

When the Unexpected Happens

2011-12-14T06:27:00.000-05:00

On December 7th, 2011, at 10:54 (central time), my mother passed on.

It was sudden and so very unexpected.

My only consolation is that she did not suffer for a long time.

She died from complications of Leukemia.

Ummm. She was diagnosed with that at 6pm on December 7th.

Apparently, she had been feeling ill for quite some time but just never told anyone as she did not like people poking and prodding at her.

They were in the ambulance transferring her from St. Anthony's in Michigan City to Rush Hospital in Chicago.

She never made it. I believe she never intended to. I'm quite certain under 'normal' circumstances, my mother would not agree to undergo aggressive chemo and whatever else.

Her blood platelets were something stupidly low, like SIX when they should be in the 100s.

Her blood could not clot.

I spoke to her for a mere 2 minutes that morning. Asked if I needed to come up. Said no (yeah, that's going to work with me mom). Then abruptly asked that I call back that afternoon and HUNG UP on me. I sort of laughed, telling those around me that I could easily be offended by that.

I'm holding up as best as can be, I suppose.

My husband was so supportive in a way that I never expected him to be.

The moon shined so bright the whole time we were there.

It snowed the first snow that Thursday evening/Friday morning. I truly believe it was for me (my SIL said it was for her, whatever).

The day we left, it rained so very hard that evening. That, again, was for me.

The usual family drama over finances. I find it amazing that no matter what the situation, money has the power to control the situation.

Then the control issues reared their ugly head. Even in grief, we still feel the need to be in control.

There were no arrangements made ahead of time except she wanted to be cremated.

There was no money to had for that. Living on an extremely limited budget and not sticking to that same budget has very bad consequences, as we are finding out now.

Good things came too. We were finally able to get ahold of my enstranged sister. I have a voice mail message to call her when I get home. I did not speak to her, my brother did, I'm hoping.

I met up with my two aunts, who I've not seen in like forever (15 plus years). That was so very worth it.

I realized, yet again, the importance of pictures. In photo albums. Walking down memory lane at a time like this is definately beneficial to the soul.

Thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated on this end.

NOTE: I am back home now and so looking forward to getting back to my routine. I will probably hop back on the menu planning and other link ups next week. Thanks for your support.

A Shopping Trip

2011-12-07T07:49:00.000-05:00

To Costco!

Yeah, I figured I may as well do it and be done. There were a few things I was getting low on and actually had a VERY detailed list. Left the tp and the papertowel, along with the hamburger behind as those 3 items would have cost me an additional $60. WTH?

Prices have increased at Costco. And the products have changed. Used to be able to buy a quart of half and half for $1.49, then it went to $1.79. Now it's a half gallon at $3.99. Heh. Same with cream, half gallon for like $6 or so. Like, crumb!

I went back and forth on even finishing the shopping trip as my brother sent me a text message to tell me that he had my mom taken to the hospital by ambulance. IF you knew my mom, you would know this is serious as she's very, very overweight and would no way go to the hospital, let alone in an ambulance. I'm worried still this morning waiting for a decent hour to call her and speak with her directly. We think internal bleeding and liver issues have kicked in (all within 24 hours). Any and all thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated.

So, after waffling back and forth, I finished the trip. Stuck with the list and even omitted a few things (due to the price and the necessity of item).

Here's what I got:
10 lb bag of onions $6.49
2 lb bag of mini peppers $4.49
6 pk romaine $4.29
2 lb fresh garlic $3.99
4 pk (6.75 lb) 93% lean ground turkey $15.41
honey roasted turkey lunchmeat $7.34
black forest ham $5.97
honey roasted turkey $8.30
black forest ham $5.97
5 lb shredded mozz $11.99
5 lb shredded cheddar $13.99
3 dozen xlarge eggs $4.69
28 oz bag of Ruffles $5.29 (a 9.5 oz bag is $4.49 in the store)
Whole grain crackers (gluten free, hope they taste good) $7.59
2 72 count petite quiche (Nancys) $12.69 less $3.25 each
2 48 count mini veggie egg rolls $8.99 less $3.00 each
12 pk (cans) chicken broth $8.19 less $2.25
30 pk carnation $9.89 (whoa, this got expensive!)
200 count garbage bags $13.49 (I priced garbage bags at store recently, they got expensive too!)
6 pk garden delight pasta $3.97
48 count string cheese $9.89
1.25 lbs cooked, crumbled bacon $9.99
3 pk digiornos pizza $13.49 less $3.50
5 lb bag of limes $4.99
5 lb bag of lemons $7.59
2 3 lb containers cottage cheese $4.99
4 lbs bacon $12.99
1/2 gallon half and half $3.29
3 lb tub of sour cream $4.39
24 oz kraft parm cheese $6.89
palmolive dish soap $7.99 less $2.00
2 pk pam spray $6.89
2 4 lb unsalted butter sticks $8.49 each
olive oil $9.99
5 lbs beefsteak tomatoes $6.99

Grand total? $297.18 (I had $300). Paid $190 in cash and the balance on debit card.

So what did I leave off?
Keurig coffee ($35 or so)
TP ($18)
Paper towel ($19)
Water bottles ($6)
mac and cheese tray
cheese slices
frozen ravioli
sirloin steaks (for Italian beef)

I have plenty of food and this should really tide me over to at least the first week of January, even with party and all. Hopefully I won't be traveling to Indiana.

Do you shop at Costco?

Take 10 - Quick - Inventory Top Pantry

2011-12-06T08:27:00.012-05:00

I gave myself 15 minutes (instead of the usual 10) to see just what I had in the pantry. Only the top part which is where the majority of the 'staples' are kept.

Ummm. I probably should have done the bottom as I'm baking cookies this week and I've no real clue how much flour, sugar, etc. I have in there.

Anyways.

There were lots of gaps and little dug out holes from all the homemade stuff we've been cooking =D.

I see that I'm quite set on beef broth, but the chicken broth is getting low.

Beef Broth x 11
Chicken Broth x 3
Veggie Broth x 3

Hmmm...

Then I have the powdered/cube stuff ... dare I count?

2 veggies
2 beef
and 1 better than bouillon jar of chicken (organic).

I think I need to get crackin on some french onion soup which will be MY old standby recipe after the last one I made.

3 large cans of crushed tomatoes (time to make the red sauce!)

Lots of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups ... I've come across a lot of GOOD recipes that use cream of whatever and I never have it on hand. So the last good sale I was lucky to have some excellent coupons, so I stocked up.

Pasta is looking a little slim ... I should watch for a sale as I got Sonny Boy a microwave pasta maker for Christmas (the garage sale, bought it from my neighbor) ...

Boxed taters are looking slim too which is OK with me ... they have lots of unnecessary processed stuff in them anyways ... same with the rice mixes.

I do have tons of rice though. And thinking I need to start incorporating rice into our menu plan. Even with all the headlines about arsenic. Uggg. Just scare us away, why don't you? (btw, this is WHY I don't watch The Doctors ... everything out there is trying to KILL US).

I have a few cans of fruit.11 cans of tuna. 4 cans of chicken. Tuna is actually on the list from Costco. Just because we eat tuna fairly frequently.

Lots of diced tomatoes. Need to get crackin on those too! I'm thinking pizza sauce but need to make pizzas which would require me to buy mozzarella cheese. Hmmm. Chicken and ranch pizza? Oh. That doesn't take tomato style sauce. (Oddly enough, I don't have ANY ranch dressing?)

A few big cans of enchilada sauce and quite a bit of refried beans. One lonely jar of salsa (which I've not been able to get the lid off when I'm craving my nachos, so it goes back in the pantry and I don't make nachos. Sort of works for me?). Thinking I could make enchiladas when Sonny Boy is here. Oh...with some mexican rice perhaps?? Tacos should be added to the menu soon too as it's been awhile. I'm thinking oh yummm, taco salad!

I've got some lasagna noodles and really starting to lean towards maybe making the lasagna for Saturday night using the Pioneer Woman's recipe as it is AWESOME! I suppose I should check the noodles for them friends that occasionally take up residence. This, of course, side tracked me as I had to run to look in the 2 freezers. No ground turkey or ground beef. Scratched off the lasagna from Costco list and added ground beef/ground turkey (both or one or the other??)

One lonely can of white clam sauce. I think I will make Hubby a special dinner on January 1st of pasta with white clam sauce as that's his all time favorite.

This was a GOOD exercise for me as it brought to mind a few things that I haven't made in a while that I should make very soon! Woohoo....

Linking up with We Are That Family Works For Me Wednesday!

Menu Plan Monday - Slim Pickins

2011-12-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

Hubby is traveling Monday, Tuesday and gets back late on Wednesday.

Sonny Boy's 19th birthday is Monday. Not that it 'matters' so to speak as he's in Orlando and I'm not. Just telling you.

Princess is 21 on Thursday. Where did the 21 years go?? I am meeting her and a girlfriend of mine for the yummy prickly pear margaritas at Canyons. It's time for her to be introduced to the chicks top pick.

So it's really a limited 'cooking' week for me! I had taken shrimp out on Sunday morning anticipating making Bangin Shrimp but we ended up trying out a new wing place after picking up the Christmas tree (we need to get wings for the Boat Parade Party this weekend ... our old place is closed). Since it was late (like 4'ish) we just skipped dinner so to speak.

I will have to hit Costco this week one night after work. Need to get foods for the party, and I also want to get milk, cream, 1/2 and 1/2, lettuce, and a few other things (lunchmeat, carnation, tuna, salsa, etc.) ... I'm figuring about $300 total which is causing me slight anxiety. I need to shop very carefully as I don't want it to be that much but would like this to be a big shop for the remainder of the month ... plus Sonny Boy will be home in a week or so ...

Sunday - easy night as we just had chicken wings at 4ish and it held us over. Hubby did cave in and ate the rest of the eggnog ice cream that's been hiding in the freezer at about 8.

Monday - I will need to make the shrimp, thinking of bangin good shrimp since it's a whole pound for ME to eat. Yikes.

Tuesday - leftover shrimp and hopefully a salad will be tossed in.

Wednesday - I'd like to make the raunchy chicken again for Hubby and that will tide us over for the next two days lunches since he's back home. He gets home LATE so rather than fussing in the kitchen at 11pm, it will be ready for him to eat already.

Thursday - Princess and I at Canyons and then we will meet Hubby at Il Mulinos next door. I can bet she will order Chicken Piccatta.

Friday - going to have to be something with minimal work. Quite seriously, thinking of sandwiches because today, tonight and tomorrow will be all about prep for party.

Saturday - big list of foods: Italian Beef, Snausages, Artichoke/Spinach Dip, Bacon wrapped water chestnuts, Spicy meatballs, Macaroni and cheese tray, Lasagna tray, Hot wings tray, (the trays will be premade, store bought, I'm not superwoman, you know?), carrots and celery with blue cheese and ranch dressing, assorted olives, chips and dip, chips and salsa, cookies, someone will bring jalepeno cream cheese wrap things (what ARE they called?), another will bring me brownies, another will probably bring a HUGE mexican type dip and whatever else anyone brings!

We love the boat parade and it's generally our BIG party of the year. I'm thinking possibly 30 or so guest which is about average (we've had 70 plus which was just too many people) and as little as 10 before. Either way, it works for me and makes us happy.

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday ... go check it out!

Beneficial

2011-12-04T18:18:00.000-05:00

That's the only way I can describe the freezers and pantry at the moment.

I've been really reducing my grocery shopping (the amount of stuff I buy, not necessarily money out) ... so we are pretty much dried up on the snacks and such.

I mean, shoot, the one shelf is normally stuffed with chips, breads, and other ~~junk~~ snacky types of foods. But since Sonny Boy hasn't been around, and all the boys with him (and girls) and Princes is working odd hours, we've pretty much cleaned out that shelf and just not bought any more ... which is ok because we ARE trying to eat healthier.

So when I got the text message from our friends that they had 10 'plump' b/s chicken thighs, and would we like to grill them up at our house and hang out for a bit, I had a slight anxiety attack.

What to serve for snacks? What to serve as a side. I mean, this is like an hour notice after a BUSY day. We said YES (of course) and hurried up to finish our projects in process (Hubby hanging Christmas lights and me cleaning up after the yard sale).

I had some baby carrots and celery in fridge. But NO ranch (how is that possible??). Skip that thought.

I have salsa, but no 'fresh' chips. Skip that one too.

Ahhh. Cheese. Sliced up 1/2 lb of sharp cheddar and a 1/2 lb of monterey jack. Laid them out on a tray and pulled out a sleeve of crackers, but decided against them as I'm not sure how fresh they were (didn't want to open them!).

Found a couple of half empty canisters of nuts and mixed them up in a dish (chocolate and peanut butter Emeralds nuts are AWESOME by the way!)

And, I made 2 boxes of scalloped taters. Would have made from scratch, but I was so tired ... and just didn't have the motivation to get everything out and slice it and such. Not a big deal normally, but that night it was.

I also had some ciabatti garlic bread in the freezer that was picked up a while ago in the freezer. So thankful that I haven't been adding bread to every meal lately!

You know what? It was an excellent meal. Great company, relaxed and tasty. I really think that if the pantry had been stuffed full and overflowing as it has been for the past several years, I would have had a lot more to choose from, but I would have lost a lot of time in deciding and then finding!

Spicy Meatballs

2011-12-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

Here's another guaranteed to be on list of appetizers for the boat parade.

Hubby has been making this for YEARS and we rarely have leftovers the next day, which is good as they get pretty spicy.

5 lb bag of frozen meatballs (we usually get the Kirkland italian ones from Costco but I think I have some Hormel ones in the freezer that I will use if so.)
3 to 4 cans of mexican style rotel tomatoes (lime juice and cilantro are added, plus I think it's milder)

Puree the tomatoes in blender/food processor to remove most of the chunky stuff. This is totally optional, BUT required in my house since Hubby hates cooked chunky tomatoes.

Dump meatballs in large crockpot and pour tomatoes over the top. Cover and heat on low 8 hours or so til warm through.

Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: I promise to try and make every effort to post a picture once I have these made!

Green Beans ... MY Way

2011-11-28T01:40:00.005-05:00

Anyone who has read this blog for a little time KNOWS that I'm not a huge fan of veggies.

I know.

BUT on Thanksgiving, my lovely sister-in-law made some green beans that were sitting on the counter to be reheated and I snagged one to try because they looked good.

Strange behavior, I know.

And man, oh man they were good! Sue told me how she makes them and here's how I made them:

1 can of french cut green beans ... she used fresh, but I only had canned
garlic, Hubbys special minced stuff
a sprinkle of dried onion flakes
a dash of red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in frying pan. Add all ingredients and saute til beans are tender.

There you have it. Easy. Quick. Amazing.

Menu Plan Monday - So Good To Be Home

2011-11-27T20:38:00.002-05:00

After being away from the castle for 6 days, I'm glad to be home again.

Princess flies out again in the morning back to the midwest to see some friends in from overseas on leave. It's kind of cool as it's a few people that she trained with in Arizona ... Should have made life easier for her and changed her ticket to just fly straight to where she's going instead of Florida then back up ... oh well.

So of course, I'm SO very motivated to get back in the kitchen and cook, cook, COOK. Plus getting ready for the holidays and the BIG EVENT (no, that link is not for Christmas!) ... apprehensive? Anxiety? Excitement. All of those emotions!

I'm still trying to avoid any major grocery shops, trying to clear stuff out and bring in new, fresh stuff that is more health-minded and less processed.

So here's what we have planned for the week ...

Sunday - ummm, hmmm. Left over Giordanos pizza that we took on the plane with us from Chicago. Seriously ... yummy.

Monday - Raunchy Chicken (ranch chicken) in the crockpot ... gonna be a long day at the office (chicken in freezer rest in pantry ... 2 other ingredients!) Adding a side of Green Beans just for kicks!

Tuesday - salad stuff baby, gotta get back in the groove. This evening we are having Cobb Salad. Sent Hubby to the store today to replenish the salad supply (he came home with ICEBERG lettuce ...) and need to dig around for some lunchmeat in the freezers ... know I have some in there!

Wednesday - our usual night out however we may just stay in as the expense from last week was high. Again, thinking of chinese which has NOT happened yet. I've got stuff in the freezer to make just about anything, I'd think!

Thursday - the first day of December! And I'm opting for soup even though we are still experiencing summer like weather ... soup of the day? Why Potato Soup of course ... just because the original looks so yummy ... will have to stop and get hashbrowns (I have a coupon) but have the rest of the stuff. So hoping this is as good as it looks ...

Friday - most likely getting together with some friends ... thinking appetizers like shrimp cocktails, cheese and crackers and spread, maybe some hot spinach dip in the mini crockpot. I have shrimp in freezer, cheese in fridge, crackers in pantry, I can make the spread and spinach stuff in freezer and pantry.

Saturday - we will be having our neighborhood garage sale today ... I've got a couple of porterhouse steaks in the freezer that I think I'll pull out and make a mushroom and blue cheese sauce to go over ... yummm ... if I could just find that recipe I had loaned to a friend years ago ... if I did this, I'd need blue cheese ... so maybe I'll hold off as that's a little pricey.

2 crockpot meals in one week with a 3rd proposed appetizer? I'm going for it! I've got 3 large ones and 2 small mini ones so why not?

What are you planning on making this week?? Hop on over and check out what 100's of other bloggers are cooking up at Menu Plan Monday.

Being Thankful

2011-11-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

The long holiday weekend is coming to an end and I am sitting here, being thankful.

Thankful for many things. And not so thankful for others.

But the key is to remember those things that I do give thanks for.

Thankful that we were able to feed a houseful of teen boys this morning even though we've been gone for 6 days.

Thankful for my friends who teamed up and worked out a schedule (without me knowing) to play with the cats, check the mail and garden and such.

Thankful for my Hubby who made our trip completely possible with as little fuss as possible.

Thankful for the love his family shows ME.

Thankful that I have a job to look forward to tomorrow (and a paycheck is waiting).

Thankful that I have clothes to wear this week without necessarily HAVING to do laundry today if I choose not to.

See. There are plenty of things to be thankful for, things that you just take for granted. Because it's so easy to say "woe is me" and feel sorry and discontentment. Trust me, there are PLENTY of things that I can complain about, that I can change around up above .... such as yeah, I have lots of clothes to wear, but they aren't everything I want them to be (so why did I buy them then???), that I have no bread or muffins left in the house (but the boys were truly appreciative that WE took the time to feed THEM), that the trip was a little 'stressful' in family ways, but it's family.

I am truly thankful for EVERYTHING I have, regardless if it's at the quality or quantity I want it to be at.

This will come in handy for the Next Big Adventure. Positive attitude covers so many things!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T04:22:00.001-05:00

Hoping everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving with food to grace your table, and family and friends to share with.

Close Your Eyes and Just DO IT

2011-11-22T08:54:00.000-05:00

Heh. Yeah. I went for it.

Regardless of the WTF factor, I'm gonna do this.

Listerine.

Shaving Cream

Warm water and towels.

30 minutes of my valuable, precious time.

Yeah. I did it.

Can't be any worse than the last manicure/pedicure I had.

The outcome? Not so bad.

Shaving cream was the Schick Hydro stuff and I probably was not generous enough with it.

I measured 1 cup of listerine and 1 cup of warm water and mixed in a medium size bowl.

Then used two washcloths.

Sat and read magazines for 30 minutes.

Gave gentle scrub then rinsed well in tub. Dried and then applied coconut oil. Put on socks and still pretty hours later.

I will do it again next Sunday as I still have lots of listerine/water mix going on. But here's what I'll do different:

Use lots and lots of shaving cream. Toss the washcloths in the microwave to warm them up after I wring them out. My feet got pretty chilly sitting there.

Did it 'cure' the cracked heels?

No. It didn't. I don't think anything will, short of shaving off the dead skin.

But it DID make my feet softer and some of the dead skin came off ... I mean, no matter what you used, if you wrapped your feet in a damp towel for 30 minutes, I think it would soften the skin enough to remove.

This could fit in with Rule #10!

Potato Soup - Crockpot Style

2011-11-21T06:58:00.003-05:00

Apparently, this is compatible to Outback's potato soup, but I wouldn't know because I haven't been to an Outback in years, seriously, like 8, maybe even 10??

But with a blog named Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour, you have to trust the girl, nod your head, and say Amen Sister =D.

But all kidding aside ... it's fast approaching December, the most magical time of the year and well, them damn Target employees were wearing Santa Hats on November 19th ... so I felt the need to bookmark the recipe and make it as soon as December rolled around.

December 1st, to be exact. Yes, that would be Thursday coming up. No, no, NOT Thanksgiving, but the following Thursday. Geesh.

The original recipe is here. This is how I'm planning to do mine ...

1 large bag of frozen, shredded hash browns. I will have to hide as Hubby will automatically assume that is breakfast food.
2 cartons (32 oz each) of chicken stock (pantry, Costco buy)
1 can cream o' chicken soup (real deal, campbell)
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (although I'm considering white since I have some)
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese. Sorry, apparently NO FAT will not melt, so don't use unless you want clumpy stuff
Optional for topping: bacon bits, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, diced red onions, etc. Personally, you gotta have toppings! So we will have all but red onions as I'm not buying THOSE.

So just toss everything except the cream cheese in your crockpot. Mix it up a little (just because), set on low, and go to work for the day.

Come home 8 hours later, praise the Lord that you thought to make dinner before you left this morning and throw in the cream cheese. Personally, because I'm different, I cut mine up in cubes. Go ahead, be different with me. Put the lid back on and wait another hour (more or less) til the cheese melts.

Note: Next time, I think I'll try the country style diced potatoes ... just sayin.

Serve it up and top with choice of toppings! Enjoy!

Linking up with Ultimate Recipe Swap ...

Cobb Salad

2011-11-19T17:48:00.002-05:00

This is Hubby's favorite salad that he will almost be guaranteed to order if we meet for lunch during the week for about the price of oh ... say, $8.99 plus tax and tip (and the ice tea) ... so I need to make it more often at home for a fraction of the price!

It's pretty easy to do too, just a little bit of chopping and lining up and you are D. O. N. E.

Head of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Cooked chicken, turkey or ham, chopped
bacon bits
cheddar cheese, shredded
olives, chopped (for Hubby's)
Additional items that you like (avocado, onion, etc., just chop)

Lay lettuce out in the bottom of a shallow, smaller dish. Then simply make a row down the middle with the meat, then cheese on one side and eggs on the other. Then bacon bits on one side and olives on the other side.

Serve with either ranch or honey mustard dressing and be happy!

Linking up to Frugal Fridays and GCC and wishing we were going to have leftover turkey to use in this!

Ranchy Chicken in the Crockpot

2011-11-19T17:29:00.002-05:00

I wanted to type Raunchy Chicken but figured not too many people would find it funny UNLESS you knew me and my friend Cat ... Cat always has a hard time putting the right word in and most likely would have said raunchy ... especially if there had been a glass of wine or two involved.

Any ways.

The original recipe is modified from the Real Mom Kitchen ... (which, thanks to Pinterest, I've discovered!) and since I had chicken on hand, figured why not? Bonus for me: I had EVERYTHING on hand ...

So, I give to you, my readers, fans, followers, stalkers, what have you:

Raunchy Chicken

6 normal size b/s chicken breast (freezer)
1 packet of dry ranch dressing seasoning mix (Aldi's for i think 49 cents?)
1 can of cream o' chicken soup (the real deal, Campbell, picked up for ... 50 cents with coupon)

Toss all in crockpot, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Yeah, that's it! Of course, if you are thinking clearly, you will toss the soup in the pot, then the ranch dressing, give it a quick stir, then toss in the chicken, sort of bury them a little and then walk away.

Ummmm... yeah, too easy, huh? When serving, feel free to sprinkle with some chopped parsley to make it pretty and special =D

NOTE: on the other site, she served hers up with some garlicy mashed taters to serve with the gravy. IF you are planning on serving with something that gravy will be good on, then by all means, use 2 cans of soup and another packet of ranch!

Modifying a Smoothie

2011-11-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

Well, I say modifying it but it could also be relayed as making it better?

I have a few of those Yoplait smoothie things in the freezer from when I picked them up for $1 a bag ... they are good and all but really, not as healthy as I'd like to think. They were to be for the kids, but for whatever reason, they didn't dig into them as much as I thought (perhaps its the fact that it calls for 1 cup of milk??)

So in my efforts to use what we have on hand this week (week 2 and not doing so very bad) I made a smoothie for my breakfast this morning (no bagels OR sausage patties left for my favorite breakfast sandwiches) ...

1/2 cup of 2% milk
3 tbs non fat instant powder milk
1/2 cup water
1 bag of Yoplait smoothie
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 tbs ground flax seed

Put all in blender and let it rip til smooth. (used the Cuisinart because I gave the bullet to Sonny Boy for his apt).

Pretty tasty. I think next time though I will do the oatmeal and flax seed FIRST in the blender to make it powdery THEN add the remaining ingredients. I suppose I could even just do 6 tbs of milk powder and 1 cup of water next time too.

*The reason I did the half milk and half reconstituted stuff is basically to conserve the milk. Milk is costing around $3.75 a gallon around here and we still go through 2 gallons a week so I’m trying to use the powdered stuff where I can because I have like 8 packets (each packet makes a quart but I don't mix it in that amount, I’m the only one who’s using it)

*The reason I did the ground flax seed is because I HAVE some and I just read that omega 3 fatty acids help against inflammation. And as you know, I have issues with this so it’s kind of a trial and error thing at this point. Also, contains a LOT of fiber and getting to the age where fiber is GOOD for me.

Linking up with GCC Recipe Swap (been awhile since I've visited there ... forgot how fun it can be!)

Menu Plan Monday - Using It Up

2011-11-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

We will be heading out next week for a visit with the family ... so excited about that (and a little apprehensive as Sonny Boy is flying out of Orlando and I have to drive back to the airport to pick him up on Tuesday evening) ... so I need to stay focused and use up what we have in the fridge and such ...

Sunday - Kashi frozen pizzas (got them for $4 a piece) and small garden salad on side. Wanted to make some ciabatta bread to go too but that seems a little excessive.

Monday - chicken and broccoli (using the philly cream cheese stuff) with pasta

Tuesday - chef salad

Wednesday - normally our night out but I think we will be staying in ... if so, I'd like to suggest stirfry or something (3 weeks now?)

Thursday - Going to have to be another salad IF there is salad stuff left over still. If not, I'll do the corn/black beans/chicken salad stuff (quesidillas??)

Friday - hoping to toss a chicken in the crockpot and maybe some mashed potatoes to go along with it?

Saturday - Ahhh....I'm betting any money we will get together with some friends. If so, I will contribute a cheese and smoked summer sausage platter with crackers ... only because I KNOW that I will have this on hand!

I wouldn't normally toss another Sunday on the list but since we leave on Monday, I am ... leftovers OR soup and sandwiches ... whatever I have that needs to be used up. Somehow, I think I will hear hubby saying something about "nothing to eat in the house" which ALWAYS makes me laugh :)

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday ... check it out!

A Casserole

2011-11-13T16:20:00.001-05:00

Its a once in a blue moon type of thing for me to say that I made a casserole.

But today, I did. But it's not for us to eat at the house.

It's for Hubby to take with him to the office tomorrow. He has a new employee who JUST moved here from the other coast, and he thinks the guy is flat broke and living in his car til his wife comes and a few paychecks roll in.

That makes me sad. Very very sad. But there is hope in that Hubby must be coming around and be a little more sensitive =D which is a joke, yet not really.

Anyways. When we made dinner Saturday night, he insisted that we double the meat for the grill and made an extra side dish.

To take to work "as leftovers" and to tell the gang that it's too much food for us at home. Hmmm. That's pretty nice honey.

This morning, we were talking about the status of chicken in the freezers and if I wanted to make some more stuff.

Hmmm...How about a casserole type thingy? He just looked at me, well, because, well, read the first line of this post again ...

I googled and came up with this:

Chicken, cheese, rice and broccoli casserole

2 cups water (which I totally spaced off!)
2 cups uncooked instant rice (I used brown) cooked
2 10 oz cans of chunk chicken (have!)
1 cream of shroom soup (had!)
1 cream of chix soup (had!)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk (I did half milk and half reconstituted milk)
16 oz broccoli (frozen)
small onion, chopped (used dried onions)
1 lb cheese food {shudder} (used 1 cup of shredded cheddar)

Mix all together in 9x12 pan (sprayed with Pam first) and bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir halfway to mix up.

So I covered mine half way and it started to dry out a little. Ummm....gee, think that's because I forgot the 2 cups water?? Also added a bit of black pepper and some (1/4 tsp) garlic powder (go easy, that stuff is potent). Definately needs MORE seasonings so be sure to add more for your taste ...

It's good though. And I think everyone will enjoy at the office.

I've declared this a Pantry Meal since 98% could be from the pantry!

Original recipe from All Recipes.

Veteran's Day

2011-11-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

It's November 11th, and I pay homage to all our Vets who have served our country and kept us safe.

Every year, Pompano Beach High School JROTC have led a very moving and special Veteran's Day Ceremony, which they call Fallen Heroes. Because PBHS does not have class on Friday's they have the ceremony the Thursday of that week (this year, it's on the 10th).

They honor local vets, and those who have fallen. They've presented a flag in honor of a fallen soldier to a family member.

They also do a retiring of a flag which is very emotional for me.

I just want to give, yet again, a hats off and a job well done to LTC Johnson and 1SG McGruder ...

for the excellent job that they do with the kids who opt to take JROTC.

Each year, the ceremony and attendance grows larger and the number of flags grow too as a flag is place for each fallen soldier.

Pictures along with rank and name and place of birth are placed on each one of these flags. Then the cadets set each flag in rows around the courtyard.

I am thankful that my daughter, yes, the Princess, was a part of this.

Remember our true heroes and what they are doing for YOU. And if you see a member of the United States Service or a retired veteran today, please do give them the respect that they deserve along with a Thank You for all they've given.

Finally, Printing Options!

2011-11-09T04:39:00.003-05:00

I'm fortunate in that one of the attorney's in my office has asked if I'd like to do a little side work for him at home.

Sure! It's the Holidays approaching, Sonny Boy is in school, extra rent being paid for him, plus his ordinary living expenses (trust me, he's NOT living high on the hog by any means!), real estate taxes coming due and so on.

So I am getting about $400.00 extra a month at the moment doing searches and reports for him.

Of course, it's a LOT of printing so I'm thinking I should look into a new printer. He's offered to buy me a new printer, which I just sort of looked at him like, "Huh? Why would you do that??" Really, that's too generous and I will not allow that. Sorry, my friend.

Then I started to notice these "XL" ink cartridges first. You know, the ones that say "Up to 3 X More Pages"?

I've priced them and they are a little over twice the regular price. So really, besides the fact that it's less timing to swap them out when they run empty, less waste, not a whole lot of savings though as I can't say for SURE that's it 3 times more ink.

Hmmm. Monetarily, not a GREAT bargain. But less waste and less time? Yeah, worth it. $14.99 for a regular ink cartridge, or buy a 2 pack for $29.99 or buy the XL for $35.99.

BUT to make things even better, I've finally, FINALLY figured out how to print in black only and bypass the color! Want to know how?

Go to your start button and select printers.

Right click on the printer and select printing options.

Click for fast draft printing and then there should be another selection under color options where you can click for black ink only (typically in the gray scale area).

SAVE this option as a default and there you have it. I saved mine as CG ... of course, the initials of the attorney =D.

Of course, every printer is different, but holy ink Batman, this works for me! Now if I could just figure out why I lost my wireless connection ... that's my next project!

When You Receive Bad Service

2011-11-08T06:33:00.001-05:00

What do you do?

Recently, I 'ahem' caved in and did a walk in for a pedicure and manicure. Heck, it was $30 and my feet have been killing me with the cracks and callouses from wearing sandals (its south Florida, we wear them 11 1/2 months a year).

I've not been to this particular place in YEARS (which now, maybe I remember why!) but it wasn't busy for a Saturday morning so I waited the 15 minutes.

Ummm...the fact that it wasn't BUSY on a Saturday morning should have alerted me.

3 employees working.

Me in the pedicure chair.

Water is HOT and I jerk my feet out. He (pedicure man) says it's ok, and goes to work on clipping the nails (ummm, what, no soak? Bummer). Then SHE (manicure lady) comes over and starts clipping my fingernails. Again (ummmm, what, no soak?).

Now they are both clipping the cuticles. Ow! Ow! OW!! I'm bleeding here folks. Seriously.

Pat pat pat. There there, all better.

I try to settle in to the massaging chair. Difficult to relax.

Light lotion. Light rub.

Huh? No massage? Really? Seriously? Come on. This is my NUMBER ONE reason for doing this. Really bummed now even after I tell them it's my FAVORITE part.

Smile. Pat. Pat. pat.

Color on, usher out of chair to drying station and told $30.

My one finger is still sensitive and I'm sure will produce a hangnail any day now.

My feet are still dry and peeling but now red on top of it.

I did give a tip only because I wanted the heck out of that place.

So. What would you do? Not that I can particularly send a letter to the owner as these places are owned and operated by the people themselves.

Send a letter to the state? For careless and injuring work? Sloppy workmanship? What?

I just can't believe I paid money for this. The only good thing is the color is pretty and now I feel the need to go find it at ULTA for my own stash (BEFORE the Year of Zero comes in).

Trying To Do Good

2011-11-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

I ran into my neighbor at the grocery store a few weekends ago. I haven't seen or talked to her in several weeks and had been meaning to call her and hassle her about the fact that surely, at the age of 70, she wasn't going back to work since I've noticed her car gone every morning by 7:30am. (She lives next door to me and my one kitchen window looks over her carport.)

I should have known something was up as soon as we made eye contact.

First off, her dog passed. Which is sad. Thor was such a good dog, old, but still. Good Dog. I thought that was the bad news.

Poor Joan. Her eyes were just wide and empty.

Remember, this is my neighbor who just had her kidney removed in June. 70 years old. We garden side by side over the fence. Every year for the past 11 years.

She's now undergoing radiation 5 days a week and chemo once a week.

For lung cancer.

This, after she quit smoking AND drinking 10 years ago for throat cancer. Which she did radiation and surgery then and beat it.

Now this.

It breaks my heart. Devastating. Makes me cry when I think about it.

Angry. She's been through enough already.

The part that really bothers me is that she's not told many people, and that she drives herself to her treatments, by herself, 40 minutes each way, every stinkin day.

Does not want her husband to go with her.

So this morning, I ran into V, another older neighbor (who is a retired hospice nurse that recently went through breast cancer). V knows about it and confirmed that this was not a mild case.

We both agreed that one of us should go with her for the chemo treatments since that is a little long to be by yourself. We discussed doing it on a rotation basis, me this week, her next week.

But now, more than anything, I want to do something for her. Just her.

But I'm afraid. I keep tearing up just thinking about it. And that's the last thing I need to do as I know she does not want sympathy ... she only wants to see Christmas, her grandson, her daughter and all those other things in life that make her happy.

Oh my heart. It feels like someone is just tearing it out piece by piece.

So this past weekend, we got in her car (she insisted on driving) and drove to the nursery, picked up some tomato and pepper plants, and browsed around to look at the huge selection of outdoor plants. We had a very nice, leisure stroll, much longer than an average shopper would have taken.

We pay for the plants, take them home, and plant them, me on my side of the fence, and her on her side of the fence. And we laugh and talk about everything, but THAT.

We finally finish up and hold the hose for each other to wash our hands off. And finally, I tell her, I'm not at all happy that she's doing these trips by herself and that I would be more than happy to go with her for the 3 hour chemo trips if she'd like me to.

Said no. That she wants to do this while she still can. That she wants to remain independent as long as she can. And at this point we are both holding back our tears, because now, she's telling me that it's inoperable and final.

I get it now.

Which makes me all the more glad that I went ahead and did the gardening stuff then instead of waiting til next weekend.

She has her 84 year old brother coming in this week and he will go with for her treatments for the 7 days he is here. Then her daughter comes in for 5 days and she will take her. The Husband, Mr. Bill, will step in when needed after that.

Sometimes, you have to follow along when someone is trying to live life "normally". I think I get it now. I really do.

Say a prayer for my friend, I will be. And perhaps wish us luck with these tomato plants this year. This is the year that they should be everything and more, just for Joan.

Menu Plan Monday - Using What I Have

2011-11-07T06:33:00.002-05:00

It's Monday, again and at last.

We had a busy weekend around here with the weather being a little cooler and the breeze blowing a little stronger. Hubby cleaned the exterior of the house and screens and I mopped the whole inside of house AND planted my garden, AT LAST. See, here in South Florida, late October signals gardening season ... and with the little cool front that came through, it gave me and my neighbor the motivation to go shop for plants! We did that Sunday morning and by 2pm our gardens were set up and ready to go. I still have to plant the lettuce seeds in the starter boxes but that's ok. *My neighbor, who is like my close to home Mom, is currently undergoing radiation and chemo so this is, hopefully, good therapy for her. She's trying so hard to be strong and independent that it breaks my heart {sob}*.

So back to the Plan ... nothing too exciting going on this week, except it's 2 more weeks til we head out for the holiday. I'd like to stick with a reduce spending plan but we shall see ... it's also getting to the home stretch for the Year of Zero ... and keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep the attitude!

I'm going to try and stay OUT of the store, with the exception of lettuce, cat food and milk, for the whole week until Saturday OR Sunday, maybe even into NEXT week. I've got a $3 off $30 coupon and granted, some good deals to be had at the moment at the store, I really don't need anything more. The coupon is good until the 15th of the month so I've got another week.

So again, back to the Plan (why, no, I don't think I have a problem with staying on task. Why do you ask?)

Sunday - Chili (hubby made) with dinner franks (massive hot dogs, freezer and from Costco)

Monday - Stirfy (veggies in freezer) with chicken (fridge) with a side of rice (pantry)

Tuesday - Chicken (freezer) with broccoli (fridge) (both of us will be home a little later than normal from working out). Seriously considering tossing a WHOLE body in the crockpot and letting it do its thing.

Wednesday - Date Night (under $40) for Hubby and I. Not sure where we will go and may even try to convince him to stay in ... either way, I still want chinese.

Thursday - Soup (leftovers hopefully) and salad (chili if any left, otherwise I will toss something easy together)

Friday - Grillin and chillin night ... chops (freezer) and veggies (fridge) (bumped a few times, still have them in the freezer)

Saturday - Ranch steaks (freezer) with taters (pantry)

It should also be noted that we are in the season where people start coming back down (snowbirds) and other friends (who split time here and elsewhere) so we increase our likelihood of guest for dinner during the weekends (generally Friday and Saturday) ... so these plans can be changed or even just DROPPED at the last minute!

Got a plan for the week? Hop on over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday and link up with hundreds of others!

Reviewing the Monthly Bills

2011-11-04T06:32:00.002-04:00

Isn't it amazing how many bills are really generated a month for household expenses?

First off, we do have cable, satellite radio, internet, landline, cell phones, exterminators (it's south Florida, folks), pool service and lawn service and the list goes on. And I know, all these items right there do NOT need to be part of the household budget, but here, they are.

Some bills stay the same, like the exterminator, pool and lawn guy.

Others fluctuate, like the electric. Which, thankfully, is finally $270 for the month (after peaking out at $450 a few months ago), and the land line, which really, should stay the same, but once in a while someone (ahem) calls their mommy on that instead of the cellphone on a Saturday morning (which by the way, the cell is FREE long distance AND FREE time, especially on a Saturday morning).

The cable bill SHOULD be the same each month too. Except when you change your service, like we just did.

AND that is when you need to scrutinize it. Very. Very. Carefully.

There were so many charges and credits that I immediately said No Way.

1. I added 3 HD boxes. $8.50 a month additional (yeah, excessive, I know, but this is the one thing Hubby truly enjoys AND he did just buy the new toy). This, I hope, will keep us home more frequently and provide cheap'er' entertainment (hey, the remote has a netflix button that takes you STRAIGHT to netflix, no more jockying around with the Wii to get it up).

2. I've been on the same basic "starter" program for so long, that I felt the need to ask the guy at the counter if there was any kind of special going on that we could switch to. Well there was, $69.99 for the internet and cable (as opposed to $99 we were currently paying). I opted out of the phone program. So he switched me over to that. Which technically, should have put me at the same amount I was currently paying since I added on $25 in monthly boxes. (FYI, I'm truly curious as to how much it is for premium channels, you know, HBO, Showtime, etc. but afraid to look).

Ummm. No. The bill was $150 plus.

Review. Review. Shake head. Review some more. Ahhh. Installation? Internet installation? $99? Really. Oh there, it's credited.

$25.90 installation times two. Really? I don't think so. Review. Review and review. Hmmm. There's a $51.90 credit, but nope, that's not it. (At this point, I'm getting angry because why would I have TWO installations and not three if I got THREE boxes?)

I finally called. I hate calling Comcast. They are soooo scripted and well, just not right. Not to mention, after we had to switch to those dopey little digital boxes, we had so many problems with outages that my call log is probably an hour in the making to load on their system.

Anyways, I was asked five times, if I did NOT have someone come to the house to install the boxes.

Uh. No. I'm sure I would remember that because we spent a WHOLE weekend and into the week too doing this.

Finally, the customer service dude says that he will submit for the removal of the charges. I had to repeatedly ask how much the credit would be.

"Oh, not a credit. We will remove the charge. Um. Hold on, let me see how much it will be" ??? "$25." "$25.08". Oh my ... I finally told him how much it should be ($51.80).

My point is, not to bash Comcast (well, maybe a tiny bit) but to say that you need to review your bills each and every month.

The phone bill at work for the elevator? We have it restricted toll access as we had a problem where people were making long distance calls on it (yes, really. People who didn't have permanent addresses were using it). So we pay $9 for that. Then AT&T started charging a minimal long distance fee of $12 a month (includes tax, fees, etc.) ... 2nd month in a row I've had to dispute it. This last month they also charged us a fee for changing our long distance provider. Yeah, amazing, huh? They can't tell me how or why this keeps happening, but now that I'm aware of it, I will keep following up.

So even IF your bill is within $5 each month, review. And call if anything seems odd, or you have any questions. Seriously.

Linking up with Frugal Fridays because paying $50 for something you didn't have or need is totally NOT saving money!

Dry Cleaning - an at home alternative

2011-11-02T07:30:00.001-04:00

I work in a law firm. Granted, it's small, we are very laid back and I can get away with casual attire. No, not shorts and tank tops, but I can wear jeans, nice tshirts and clean sneakers (notice the key words on those last two items? Very fine line here folks).

However, there are also times where I need to be a wee bit more professional, which is generally when I grab one of my thrift store finds ... because heck, if it's not something I'm wearing weekly, I'm not about to pay full price (I'd prefer that be the way of everything, honestly!).

With the thrift store stuff, and the nicer, more professional clothing, a lot of times, it's says "dry clean only". I'll be perfectly honest. I've WASHED these things in the washer and then line dried. Ummm....not always with great success, and sometimes, EPIC failure. But regardless, I at least tried.

So when I saw Fake It Frugal do a post on the at home stuff you can buy, I figured, what the heck. I've had a black jacket and skirt in a pile in my closet for oh, 3 months (??!!) to go to the dry cleaners, but have been holding off (??!!) because I know it's going to cost me at LEAST $15 to clean. Heck, I can buy a big 100oz bottle of Tide for that! So the other night, I stopped at Target and picked up TWO 6 packs of Woolite dry cleaning stuff. They were $9.99 each and had $1 off coupon, so figure $8.99. Each packet will wash up to 4 items (I bet more if they are thin).

I pulled the jacket and skirt up off the floor. Shook them out and looked for stains (always fun on black) and grumbled about the damn cat that sleeps in my closet and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS sleeps on my stuff, leaving black and white hair everywhere. Anyways. Also grabbed my pretty black dress off a hanger. Heck, I'm not going to waste the sheet on two measly items. I looked for a 4th item but just couldn't find anything.

Off into the dryer they went with the sheet. 20 minutes on medium. Do not leave the items in dryer when done (oh doh, I always do this!).

20 minutes later (ding!) and out they came. Hmmm. Ummm. Uh huh. Nice. Mmmmm they smell nice. All the kitty hair is gone. That white spot (deodorant?) is gone from the dress.

I'm sold. SOLD!

Now, I can imagine that if this is stuff worn on a consistent basis, you may still want to fill in with dry cleaning because surely there's more to it than this! I mean shirts and blouses will eventually need some pit treatment of sorts, not just for odor purposes, but the oils from skin and deodorant.

So yeah, it's definitely something I'm going to continue to do. Hubby's got a few slacks that we always take to the cleaners whenever he travels (nice, EXPENSIVE ones, I ruined ONE pair washing which was the EPIC FAILURE episode) ... so I'm anxious to try. I'm actually really EXCITED to try some other items but am holding out til I have enough to utilize the experiment to it's fullest extent =D

By the way, I was worried about the shrinking and wrinkle factor on the linings of the jacket and skirt. No issues. I would guess it's the water from the washer that causes the shrinking and wrinkling.

Linking up with Works For Me Wednesday because it WORKS!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-31T09:47:00.000-04:00

After a rainy, flooding, dreary weekend (which really put a cramp on my Halloween Party plans Saturday evening) I am looking forward to Monday ... which of course, means Menu Plan Monday in this house!

I did the big shop on Wednesday last week and did another run to the store on Saturday morning ... spent a little bit too much money (saved a lot too) but at least now we are set for quite some time on food ...

Sonny Boy played at 5pm this evening and they all headed back to Orlando at about 8pm ... a little too late for my own comfort but they insist on doing it that way.

As I sit here (9pm Sunday), I'm totally drawing a blank as to what I should do for dinners this week. I've got SO many options to choose from yet nothing is grabbing my attention. I suppose I am just lazy at the moment and the brain is taking a break =D. So here's what I'm throwing out there and hope to stick with it.
Sunday - um, lack of motivation here. Grilled cheese sandwiches and Halloween candy. Just keeping it real ...

Monday - Tuna melts ... Hubby will complain as he does not like hot, canned tuna (tuna casserole? I thought he was going to divorce me after THAT meal). I will make his on toasted bread instead because that's the kind of gal I am.

Tuesday - leftover blackened chicken and broccoli. I am going to try and save the salad stuff for lunches only this week ... Hubby likes to eat a HUGE salad after the gym, so I'm going to pursued him to do the broccoli.

Wednesday - This our night out normally, but may convince Hubby to stay in and make Chinese as I've been craving that lately. Otherwise, do a take out of Chinese ... under $20? IF I do make it at home, I want to try this Sesame Ginger Chicken in the crockpot (I have everything but green onions and carrots, but will improvise with stirfry veggies and serve with the basmati rice).

Thursday - Pork chops and more stirfry veggies. Not sure what I want to do yet with the chops. Grill? Crockpot? Stirfry? Hmmm...need to decide soon.

Friday - Pizza and wings. From the pantry and freezer. The wings are precooked and seasoned, but frozen so they need to get toasted up in the oven. The pizza will be a simple garlic crust (which I need to find the recipe!) that is made in the bread maker. Will probably be a pepperoni based pizza...

Saturday - so hoping that the weather finally clears up by now ... chicken thighs and veggies on the grill with my favorite teriyaki sauce!

Linking up with Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday ... check it out!

2011-10-28T06:48:00.000-04:00

It seems to be hard to catch up. At least harder than I remember it.

Money wise, that is.

Yeah, chore wise too. I'm not sure how THAT happened.

Back to the subject at hand.

It's Friday, two days after Wednesday, which means I've missed the WFMW linkup and it's time to link up with Frugal Friday ... I've missed a few of them lately just because TIME seems to be getting out of hand lately too ...

Wow, no wonder I've felt slightly off ... Money, chores, time, work, kids, animals, and oh, the Hubby. What about me??

Ahem.

You probably already know about my love of lists.

For everything. From chores, to bill paying, to errands, to suggest MEALS!

As I was waiting for Sonny Boy's bus to arrive (yes, he took a Greyhound on a Thursday for $37 from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, said it was way better than the student bus program), I grabbed my handy dandy little book and pen and started to write out a list of meal ideas based on what I have in house at the moment.

It's a little difficult when you are not standing in your kitchen looking at your available ingredients, trust me.

But being that I just did a big shop earlier this week, and that I pretty much browse the remaining contents of the freezer daily, I had a fairly good idea of what was on hand.

So like these two lists, I believe I have everything on hand to make each meal without needing anything special, other than the usual salad and milk items.

So....here we go:

chicken (f) stirfry with rice (p) and stirfry veggies (f)
Starkist fish (f) and yellow rice (p)
pork chops (f) and boxed scallop taters (p)
pepperoni (p) pizza (p) and garden salad with olive garden dressing
cobb salad (fridge) (p)
Bangin Shrimp (f) (p) (fridge)
teriyaki (p) chicken thighs (f) with stirfry veggies (f)
burgers (f) and grilled fries (p)
salisbury steaks (f) with egg noodles (p)
sausage (f) and peppers (fridge) (f) and onions (p)
ranch chicken (f) (p)
turkey (f) tacos (p)
blackened chicken (f) sandwiches (p)
hot dogs (f) with potato salad (p)
chicken picatta (f) (p) (now that I don't need white wine!)

Like that, 15 meals. And of course, nothing spectacular (except that chicken picatta stuff) but stuff that Hubby and I both enjoy (Princess counts too, but only home 10% of the time for dinner) ...

This one is a multi link up with Works For Me and Frugal Fridays! Should check them both out!

Costco, Oh How I love Costco!

2011-10-27T07:08:00.000-04:00

I've tried really really really hard to go to Costco with a list and a specific amount of money dedicated to just that trip.

Trust me, it isn't easy. But for the most part, I do ok.

So my list this time around has been accumulating for, oh, about 3 to 4 weeks. And of course, we had the little coupon book which is probably what really prompted my list.

I stuck with the list pretty darn well. A few things I said no thanks on as yes, like everything else, the prices have gone up. The carnation instant breakfast is now $9.99 a box (30) and granted, that's still 1/3 less than the store, it was not justifiable in this trip (I think I paid somewhere around $7 last time?)

And of course, as you ~~wander~~ walk the aisles looking for that item on your list, you spot other things, like the basmati rice, in a 2 serving bowl, that's ready in TWO MINUTES! Um, yeah. 6 pk for $7.99. And I got 2.

My cashier's name was Kia. I had a very difficult time not having fun with her and the reference to the SOUL Hamsters =D. Yeah, I'm odd like that (it's called humor, I believe??). She was funny regardless so she probably would have went along with it.

Ok, here we go:

Basmati rice bowls $7.99 each x 2
canned shrooms $7.49 (about 50 cents a can)
2 large bottles of lemon juice $5.79
2 pk nutella $8.99 less $ coupon
crumbled bacon $9.99 (whoa, this got pricey)
8 pk bumblebee albacore tuna $13.89 (ok, I would have sworn this was to have been cheaper ... tempted to go back and look. It's why I didn't grab the Costco stuff like normal)
bag of Ruffles (big bag) $5.29
bag of tortilla chips $4.89
B/S chicken thighs ($1.99 lb) $15.60
B/S chicken thighs ($1.99 lb) $16.32
large container cottage cheese $4.99
5 pk bacon (I think it's 5, I need to check) $11.99 (again, another pricier item!)
36 pk water $3.75 (we were still watching Rina at this time)
100 paper plates (or more?) $14.49 less $3.20
6 pk (32 oz each) organic chicken stock $10.89
346 count bath wipes $14.99
4 pk toothpaste (large tubes) $12.99
14 ct bath soap $14.49
quart size freezer bags $9.99
black forest ham $5.27
honey roasted turkey breast $7.58
honey roasted turkey breast $7.74
4 lbs frozen organic brocolli $5.99
90 ct mega red vitamins $18.99
5 lbs of frozen stirfry veggie $7.29
6 ct romaine lettuce $3.99
string cheese $9.99
4 lb butter $8.99
mini peppers $4.49
half & half $1.79 x 2
3 dozen xlarge eggs $4.49 (umm, another notable price increase)

then I had coupons, and none of the items say what they are for, except the bath soap:

$2.50 off Nutella
$3.00 off Dove
$4.00 off Colgate
$5.00 off Mega Red
$3.00 off Cottonelle wipes

Grand total? $274.51. I'm bummed as the calculator put me around $250 but a few things I may have rounded down and I was not sure of the toothpaste. Plus the tuna is about $4 more than I thought too.

So. I would say I'm set for a while.

But you know how that is. Publix has some decent deals this week =D .... oh geesh. How am I ever going to incorporate my new 2012 plan??

Do you shop Costco? And is there a method you use?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

I've been in Orlando visiting Sonny Boy for the past 3 days, doing Halloween Horror Nights, taking the kids to Aldis (the one girl was like "Oh, is that where you get the really good chips??" Yes Bri, it is) ... we got everyone fairly stocked up on food for a few weeks I think.

Then I walked the whole campus of UCF several times over, walked the apartment complex and marveled at all the different types of students that are around.

Saw lots of wildlife, and no, not just college kids =D

Spent a lot of money, but glad I went. Had a blast at Universal, can't wait to do THAT again! But I'm back and ready to get back in the groove of things and prepare for my upcoming 2012 challenge ...

Sunday - breaded chicken tenders from the freezer. Made some homemade honey mustard dressing for dipping (as this is baking, Hubby is asking if I'm sure I don't want to just go out .... NO!)

Monday - Chef Salad

Tuesday - Starkist and rice ... I have 4 boxes of those Starkist Sensations and need to try them! Rice is bagged season yellow mix in the pantry

Wednesday - our 21st anniversary AND the night we normally go out ... so I'm letting Hubby choose, although I'd like to try a new Brazilian restaurant in town ...

Thursday - chicken with broccoli (both in freezer, maybe use some of the philly cooking creme I have) Sonny boy comes home this evening as they have 2 gigs over the weekend so I might also add in some pasta and rolls

Friday - Sonny Boy has gig this evening, leaning towards pork chops on the grill ... (chops are in freezer)

Saturday - slight dilemma. Halloween party down the street at Shooters. Lots of alcohol involved, although I am aiming not to overindulge. All the kids will go with us adults as it is really really cool. But not sure what I want to do about food yet. Pizzas? Which would mean ordering out ... don't really want to do that.

I would really prefer to stay out of the stores again, but need to get cheerios and milk for hubby, I think I just pulled the last pkg of lunchmeat from the freezer and the salad stuff is extremely low ... so I need to go to Publix ... but I'd like to do maybe $20 in and out!

Linking up with Organising Junkie and Menu Plan Monday ... hop over and check it all out!

Of course, a lot of things could change depending on the latest Tropical Depression soon to be Tropical Storm Rina

Pantry Salad

2011-10-19T13:26:00.001-04:00

I'm trying REAL hard to post more pics of the foods I make, just to show you, yes, we made it and we ate it :) And also, because we DO eat with our eyes, right?

Anyways ... this is an old recipe that I had pulled from our local newspaper several years back, under a headline reading: How To Use Up Your Hurricane Supplies.

Since the three main ingredients are usual staples, it's easy for me to make and easy to improvise for those items you don't have.

Pantry Salad (aka chicken, black beans and corn salad)

1 can of chicken breast, drained and flaked (I've used 2 in the past for a more meaty filling)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
1 tbs cumin

juice of 2 limes (I LOVE that handheld gadget!)
1/4 oil (olive, canola, whatever)
salt and pepper
red or orange bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, chopped fine

(optional if you have)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
jalapenos, sliced, to your preference

AND:
avacado, diced
cilantro finely chopped
(of course, Hubby hates both of these so it's a no go for my household, but I'd love to do that!)

Mix all in bowl, let sit for an hour or more (flavors get better the longer you let it sit).

There are so many ways you can doctor this up to your preferences, and this makes a great quesadilla filling!

Hubby prefers to eat it straight, the way it is ...

Linking up with GCC Recipe Swap ... check it out!

Take 10 - Clutter Spot

2011-10-19T10:47:00.001-04:00

Have I ever mentioned how HUBBY is a freaky neat freak? I mean, as in, NO clutter, NO piles, etc.

Everything is in it's place.

Sometimes, lately, he's been a little absent minded and 'forgets' where he put something. It's comical except that he gets REAL irritated with that as everything has it's place. (I know it's the medication he recently started, and I'm sure I need to say something to him about it, but for now, faintly amusing)...

Back to the story ...

I, however, can be a total and complete slob. Make piles. Make lists. Put the list on the piles. When the pile gets too tall, that's when I would prefer to deal with it. Which is stupid because it's more work at that point.

So when I went to pick up my purse one morning, I must have just had a moment because I stopped, scolded myself and asked, OUT LOUD:

Just when did THIS become acceptable?

There, on the floor, under the beautiful table, was my purse, the exercise mat, the coupon binder, the coupon bag, the amazon box, the shoe box, and another bag that I carry to work with me most days (it's my To Do bag folks). The cooler? Ummm, that had been from 2 WEEKS ago when we went to a friends ...

Ha. Hubby heard me. Peeked his head around the corner and said:

REALLY? You are finally SEEING that?

Ummm...no need to jab me with it buddy :)

So there I was that evening, taking 10. Seriously, only TEN MINUTES. And wow. I'm thrilled.

I put the receipts away where they belonged. I gathered all the extra cables and stuff from the TV / Surround System Experiment and put them in the amazon box, and put that in the garage on the work bench for Hubby to do his thing with. I put the shoe box in the closet with the shoes (doh).

And then, I dusted my picture frames. Arranged Audrey with the pretty seashells as she'd like to be (she's the neatfreak that instilled this way of living in Hubby).

And I still need to do something with the text books ... the school no longer buys these back because they say they've upgraded (college stuff).

Yes, I know it's nothing spectacular, but this is probably my favorite space in the whole house just because of some of the special pictures on there, my mother in law, father in law, hubby and princess, family portrait, boats, Princess group army photo, Sonny Boy and the band ...

And whenever I do one of these Take 10 tackles, I'm always amazed that it only takes a few minutes to make it all better.

Works For Me (yet again!)

NOTE: that beatiful table that weighs a ton? Picked it up from a girlfriend that was moving northward for $20 four years ago ... makes it a little more special!

Chicken Marsala - Easier

2011-10-18T07:06:00.000-04:00

I have a love hate relationship with Pinterest lately. Do you have any idea how many NEW blogs I've found that are dedicated to cooking?? AAAAAHHHHH

If I continue, I could be the size of my house, which is NOT small.

So anyways.

Today's feature recipe is brought to you by Savory Sweet Life and is an easier chicken marsala recipe.

I, of course, double it because: a) we love leftovers and b) if it's really good and we don't have any leftovers, there will be repercussions and c) we love leftovers ...

So here's MY version:

4 chicken breast ... these are from Penn Dutch and they are like GIGANTIC whole breast. That sounded borderline xrated but seriously, these must be some large chickens
1 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used bouillon granules)
1/2 cup white wine (dry)
6 tbs olive oil (originally states 1/2 cup oil but I used butter too)
6 tbs butter
1 lb sliced mushrooms
flour for dredging
salt and pepper

Notice a few things I changed up?

Take the chicken breast and slice them in half so they are not super thick. I don't normally pound mine thin as it makes a mess, it's loud, and well, I have other ways to vent my frustrations!

Heat large skillet over medium high heat and melt 3 tbs oil and 2tbs butter.

Season both sides with salt and pepper. And if you are like me, you do this ahead of time, stick them in the fridge and wait til its time to cook dinner

Place flour on paper plate for fast and easy cleanup

and dredge chicken in flour, shake off excess.

Cook chicken 3 to 4 minutes on one side and flip over when golden brown. Cook on other side til fully cooked, remove to dish and cover with foil. Repeat with all chicken, adding more oil and butter as needed.

Once all chicken is cooked, add 2 tbs butter to pan, add mushrooms and cook 5 to 7 minutes til they start to give off liquid.

Add marsala wine, chicken broth and remaining ingredients.

Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook about 10 minutes.

Add chicken back in and let simmer a few more minutes to warm thoroughly.

Pour all in serving dish OR individually over pasta.

Enjoy!

Of course, it should be noted: this was Friday night. My girlfriend/neighbor had been gone for 2 1/2 weeks and was back home. She came over about 8'ish, dinner was cooked and being kept on warm as Hubby was still messing with his new obsession, so I went outside and sat on the patio with Helena while we shared wine and beer (her wine, me beer). Hubby finally ate his dinner and I made this measly plate at 11:30pm. Ummm. It was good but so not how I planned. Just keeping it real!

Do you like Chicken Marsala?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-17T13:50:00.000-04:00

It's a dreary, rainy and humid Monday and of course, that means menu plan day, regardless.

I'm upset in that I had hoped to be having French Onion Soup leftover from Saturday's batch ... but, unfortunately, the recipe was not all that and more. It was none of that and then some. To the point where it went bye bye. To feed the fish. I'm so bummed.

Have you ever pulled a recipe off line that LOOKS great but somewhere along the line, either something was left out of the typed up and posted instructions or the picture was just doctored up? I've had it happen a couple of times ...and the soup was one of them. Really makes for a bummed mood. I'm still wondering, was it the organic beef 'flavored' broth? The flour to be added (that seemed off to me when I did it!) or just everything? :(

Anyways ... on with the menu plan. Not very exciting whatsoever, contributing that to the weather (gee, what's my excuse for NEXT week?)

Sunday - after shopping that morning, spending roughly $100 total, we STILL ordered Pizza for $22 total (after tip and all). I have to attribute it to the rainy, windy weather we were having.

Monday - Leftover chicken marsala and a salad

Tuesday - Pantry Salad (chicken, corn, black beans etc.)

Wednesday - our night out but I'm thinking I will try to get Hubby to stay in again.

Thursday - Cobb Salad

Friday - I'm off to Orlando to see Sonny Boy and Halloween Horror Night. Obviously, wanting to eat in but will be out...Hubby has his cooking class this evening.

Saturday - may be in Orlando still, not sure as of yet. If so, eating in, if not, eating at home ... Hubby's choice regardless.

It's really going to be an off week for us in the end. Weather is crappy and that adds to the other woes of the household.

I need to STAY OUT OF THE grocery stores until at least Monday of next week. Seriously. I don't see the money woes fixing themselves, as much as I tell myself they do ... I just need to commit to it.

What are you feeding the masses for dinner this week? In a rut, hop over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday link up ...

Another Whole Food Stop

2011-10-14T06:52:00.001-04:00

It's not like I need food or anything .... I just bought another 10 lbs of chicken breast, 2 tbone steaks, 2 lbs of shrimp and alot of veggies the other day.

But I came across this recipe and dang it ... I have ONE lonely onion in the house (don't ask, onions have not been looking healthy in the store lately, plus they cost a lot more than they used to)... so anyways, you know I don't normally buy ingredients SPECIFICALLY for a recipe ...

BUT THIS one ...

It's for a crockpot.

It's Soup!

It's my all time favorite type of soup.

It's French Onion Soup. In a crockpot!

So, yeah, I needed sweet onions.

And some Gruyere cheese.

And some LOW sodium Beef Broth (never mind that it says "beef flavored", need to look at ingredients ... its only 140mg sodium)

So yeah. I stopped at Whole Foods.

And got some nice looking spinach, 2 lemons and 2 limes, and a big container of stonybrook yogurt. And 2 pizzas. For Princess.

I was under $30 until I spied the pizzas for $5.29 each. So I snagged 2 and that put me over $40. Drats.

Obviously NOT linking this up to Frugal Fridays but maybe NEXT week we will have a crockpot french onion soup recipe to share!

Philly Cheesesteak - Sort Of

2011-10-13T19:28:00.001-04:00

Hubby LOVES his philly cheesesteaks ... and whenever he goes to Philadelphia for business, he ALWAYS makes sure to stop at Pats and at Genos ... said that they are both worth the trip.

In our recent foraging of the freezers, he pulled out a bag of "shredded beef" from ... February 2010. We were going to toss it but then opened it up and smelled and O M G it was so yummy smelling. So he heated a small amount in the microwave and asked if I remembered how I had made it.

Ummm...crockpot? A few seasonings? Tomatoes (I think those red things are tomatoes. Maybe they are red peppers?) ... the answer was no.

We decided to stay in on Wednesday evening instead of our usual night out so Hubby could finish his TV/Surround Sound project and I made Philly Cheesesteaks using that beef.

Here's the 'recipe' (trust me, the only authentic thing is the whiz):

Shredded Beef, cooked. I let mine simmer in beef broth to make it juicy as that's part of the allure

Cheesewhiz. Yeah. That jar of yellow weird stuff.

Nuke in microwave bowl in 15 second intervals until pourable

French bread. I managed to find baguette size, 3 to a pk for $1.29. Offset the $4 jar of cheesewiz (which we didn't use but half) Slice bread in half but not all the way.

Slather some butter on the cut sides and place butter side down in hot pan to toast. Flip over and toast the unbuttered side just a little.

Place a generous amount of beef on the toasted bread. Pour over some cheesewhiz. Close sandwich, squish a little (authentic) and serve.

I can't believe I ate the whole entire sandwich! I really need to try and find HOW I made that beef!

It has been sort of fun at times to pull stuff out of the freezer and discover something we had completely forgetten about ... yeah, some stuff has gotten tossed, and I hate that I wasted something, but then other stuff like this happens and it's like, wohoo!

Acceptable Behavior?

2011-10-13T10:56:00.000-04:00

This has been bothering me for several days.

I was in the grocery store the other day ... it's a store that has a high clientele of non-english speaking individuals (and heavy cash usage) ... alot of different cultures and backgrounds in that store.

Anyways.

I was standing at the fish counter to get some of the $4.99 per lb shrimp (does not go on sale to that price very often anymore) and there was an older lady, maybe late 60's next to me, getting a big slab of salmon.

To my other side is a young mom, with a little boy about 3 years old. He's messing with stuff at his level, as kids will do ... and she just reaches out and cuffs the kid on the side of the head, right over his ear.

The little boy screams bloody murder, hand to ear and starts kicking at the wall in anger. Umm. Ok.

Tears flowing and just howling. I'm trying to ignore the kid, not sure what I've just witnessed.

They go to walk behind us, and the older lady is making shhh shhhh shhh sounds ... in a soothing way, not at all a SHUSH type ...

The young mom? Turns around looks right at us and says "Shut the f!*#%% up you old b*!#%&".

HUH???

Wow. I couldn't help myself. I shouted (yes, shouted) back "You need to learn some manners yourself before you can teach your child manners!"

Oh. Boy.

I was just appalled that she would say such a thing to an older woman who was obviously acting by instinct to soothe and console a crying child (I don't believe she saw what happened to the child) ...

And I just reacted. And really and truly thought this young mother would be waiting outside in the parking lot to take me down. ACK!

Alas, I checked out, everything was fine in the parking lot.

But still.

I can't believe that this was such behavior and that no one else thought much of it that I could see. I mean seriously.

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? I'm curious.

Baked Potato Bar ... Easy

2011-10-13T08:25:00.000-04:00

I had one kid who was fairly picky about food. So to find something that HE liked that everyone else would enjoy too, and HEALTHY'ier' on top of it, well, I'm all in!

I buy the potatoes at Costco usually ... a big honkin 20lber. About $8. They are nice and big (size of your hand) and for the most part, pretty fresh and decent ...

Scrub the taters like wild. Um, I hate to say it, but they've been living in dirt for quite a while. Prick them with a fork, or cut an x shape in the skin (don't forget to do this, exploding taters in the oven really is a pain to clean!)

Place them all on a baking sheet and drizzle a little oil over them. Give them a massage with the oil, rubbing it all around.

Sprinkle all with coarse salt.

Bake at 400 for 45 to 60 minutes, til they squish a bit when you gently squeeze them.

Set up your bar. Go ahead, use some nice bowls ... don't just toss the containers on the countertop :)

Show a little love here:

Shredded cheese of choice
Bacon bits
Sour cream
Steamed broccoli (personally, I don't but if your gang likes, go for it)
green onions slice thin (or chives)
chopped tomatoes if handy
salt and pepper
and of course, soft butter
*Whatever you like or even just have on hand, add or omit to the bar. That's the beauty!

Slit taters on top, but not all the way to bottom or end to end. Now, with your hands (in towel, oven mitt, etc. as they are hot!), pinch the ends up and towards the middle to fluff up the slit part. Does this make sense? Thumbs on one end, pointer & middle finger on other end, and gently squeeze towards the middle of the tater. This is just how I was taught to do it all those years ago in a restaurant. It makes it a "fluffy" baked tater.

OR just cut the dang thing in half, fluff with fork/knife :)

Dress as desired and enjoy!

Hop on over to Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap ... today's link is all about Taters!

Take 10 - Spice Cabinet

2011-10-11T08:07:00.001-04:00

I have a spice cabinet. In the corner and it has 2 shelves that rotate around. Oh wait, is that a Lazy Susan? Ahhhh...

Anyways. It's a big corner cabinet and we are constantly moving stuff around in there trying to find the celery salt, or that BIG container of chili powder I bought not that long ago.

And sometimes, we come across things ... which is what prompts me to do today's Take 10 ... seasoning salt that has a use by date of ... are you ready? 02/01/1999.

Yes, 1999 ... just like that song. Uggg.

So here we go.

This is just the bottom shelf that is suppose to be for all the TALL containers. Notice some little guys back there? Those are the ones we lose.

I was getting a little ruthless ...

And I can't believe I'm throwing out ginger and curry ... ack! But alas, those were from 2005 and as they say, old spices loose their potency so let's see if I have to adjust my seasoning at all (yeah, I was using some of those!)

And then a mere 10 (ok, maybe 20) minutes later ... I had this:

Fairly organized and fresh spices ... go ahead, Take 10! Works for Me!

Columbus Day

2011-10-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

I sort of, kind of, really did, PUSH for the day off today.

Heck, the banks are closed.

Federal courthouses are closed.

Post office is closed.

I know the local courthouse and recording office is open (in Broward County), but heck, I'd be working with less than three-quarters of my necessary operating team.

It worked.

So what am I going to do today? Well, first off, I'm fighting a monumental urge to SHOP. Ack. I have no free, unaccounted for money so to speak at the moment. And them damn credit cards are screaming my name, saying "USE ME" but I am resisting.

I did do my microdermabrasion this morning.

That's 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp water. I added a little drip more to make it a little less dry. I love this stuff. It makes my skin feel so smooth and and soft. I still have some left in there to add to my heels later today.

I also posted the weekly Menu Plan Monday and got it linked up too!

I even made the bed today!

I do need to get the wiley eyebrows waxed today. And the lip. Ummmm...yeah, it happens folks :) If you start to see a shadow, no matter how faint, trust me, you need to take action NOW :) Nothing worse than your husband asking if you want the razor :)

I also cleared off the wall unit so we can move it out for Hubby to finish his tv system installation. He will pick up the surround sound today (and drop off the 100 plus pounds of old tv) ... I'm hoping by the time I get back from the gym, it will be FINISHED but I know better than that.

It's silly in that Columbus Day is not really celebrated as a holiday anymore. Most schools are in session, as are colleges and universities. Even though banks and federal governments are closed, Wall Street is open (which means them protesters are out too). And I had to sort of, kind of, really PUSH for the day off :)

What are you doing on this special day?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-10T09:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Columbus Day! I am off, sort of. The banks are closed as is the post office, but yet the county courts and recording offices are open, so I'm anticipating a little time in the office just to be sure nothing needs tending....

It's also Monday which means Menu Plan time!

Sunday - Chili that Hubby made in the crockpot. Great way to end the crappy weather weekend.

Monday - as I'm meeting a girlfriend to try out a class at the gym, gonna be home later than normal. So leaning towards Chicken Cesar Salad using the leftover Chicken from Chicken Piccata. (yeah, it will have the piccata flavor, that's perfectly fine for us)

Tuesday - Hubby does gym, and I may too, although, I've been doing running so maybe I'll do that, depends on how I feel ... dinner will be salad related, thinking of Chicken, Corn and Black Bean salad to get some more pantry food out of the way.

Wednesday - Our night out ... we are going to try a new place over on 33rd Street ... local.

Thursday - Hubby does gym, I do run, dinner will be easy with just a small tuna salad to go with it some whole grain crackers.

Friday - Grilling out (hopefully) ... sausage and peppers (bumped from last week due to rain and wind). We ended up going to our friends who made burgers and fries anyways.

Saturday - Hubby chooses.

What are YOU making for dinner this week? Hop on over to Organizing Junkie and check out hundreds of others!

The highlight of my weekend

2011-10-09T18:28:00.001-04:00

Oddly enough, was the crockpot, Hubby, and chili.

We've had a rainy blustery weekend. As in, nothing is being done outside (til today, late Sunday, finally calming down!)

So after we did the new TV and digital cable box installations (um, nothing is easy in this house, ok?), Hubby went and dug out the BIG crockpot, 2 pkgs of ground beef from freezer, a bag of diced onions and a bag of green peppers (also from the freezer), chili beans from pantry, a few cans of tomato sauce from the pantry, a can of roasted tomatoes, and various spices and whipped up a chili in the crockpot. Sweet.

And then, texted Princess and told her to be sure to stop at the store and buy a gallon of 2% Publix milk and 2 bags of frito corn chips, ORIGINAL. See, with Princess, you have to be specific, as in 2% and ORIGINAL, otherwise you will get something totally different :)

Anyways. That's Sunday's meal. Woohoo. He did that Saturday and I'm set for Sunday.

Princess, overload on the fritos and below all the chili? Hash browns leftover from breakfast.

And the girl still weighs under 110 lbs.

Gotta love the guy which is why I said I do almost 21 years ago.

Easiest Chicken Piccata - tried and true

2011-10-09T15:28:00.001-04:00

I love capers, which means I love chicken piccata. AND so does Hubby and Princess.

As Princess was home Saturday night, and I had just picked up some chicken ($1.49/lb for b/s breast), I had everything I needed for piccata.

Except. WINE. Well, that's not true. But I didn't want to use the $40 bottle that my boss had given me recently. That's for sippin baby, not cooking. And yes, I know, you shouldn't cook with wine you wouldn't drink, but there are some $5 bottles I'd drink!

Anyways ... off to Pinterest to find myself a new recipe to try! And of course, I found one ... and it's a keeper. So much so that Hubby asked me to use THIS recipe from now on. Huh.

4 chicken breast, sliced in half (so you have 8 pieces now)
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
12 tbs of butter (slice each tbs off a stick and set on plate)
10 tbs olive oil (just have tbs and oil handy)
2/3 cups lemon juice (yup, I squeezed the lemons, 2 1/2)
1 cup chicken stock (I used the granules and 1 cup hot water)
1/2 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup parsley, chopped (had to brave the wind and rain to go cut it from the garden)

Salt and pepper the chicken. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.

Add 3 tbs of oil to skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbs butter. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add 3 chicken pieces. Do not move for 3 minutes. Flip over and brown other side. Remove from pan and place on dish. Repeat all over again til all the chicken is done (NOTE: I did not need to add anything on the last batch to pan so I only used 8 tbs oil and 10 tbs butter)

When done cooking chicken, cover plate with foil. Add lemon juice, chicken stock, capers to pan and bring to boil and scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan.

Add all chicken back to the sauce and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer 5 minutes and once again, remove chicken to dish.

Add 2 tbs butter and whisk vigorously. Pour over the chicken.

Top with the chopped parsley.

We served over Rotini garden linguine (multi-colored). And we didn't have a LOT of pasta on the plate, but more than enough chicken and sauce, just the way I like it, the exact opposite of a restaurant! Hubby and I added just a touch of Parmesan cheese to ours. NOTE: Do you know, this dish would have been, minimum, $12 a plate? Seriously.

TIPS: I premeasured everything earlier in the day (except the oil) and had it all on standby to make my life easier since I wanted to eat dinner EARLIER than normal for a Saturday. So the chicken broth, lemon juice and capers were in one LARGE measuring glass.

This recipe is doubled as we LOVE leftovers!

Original recipe adapted from Food TV.

2011-10-06T09:55:00.000-04:00

I love bread. Seriously. Whenever I would feel the need to punish myself to lose a few pounds, the thought of doing Atkins or low carb would make me start eating HEALTHIER just so I could still eat bread ... yummmm ...

But have you noticed how the price of a cheap grocery store bakery loaf has gone up? I believe we are currently at $2.49 to $2.99 for a white loaf. Ack! That's a lot of dough (pun intended!) to fork out for something that only has a few pantry ingredients, you know? All it really takes is just a little knowledge ... so read on.

I make this in my bread maker just because I like to be a little lazy at times in my life :) Of course, if you are up to it and all about being more tired than necessary, then, by all means, grab yourself a large bowl and mix it up by hand!

Here's what you need:

1 cup of warm water
3 cups of flour
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pkg of yeast

Turn on the dough setting, dump all ingredients in per your machine's instructions (mine is water, flour, salt - I mix my flour & salt before putting in - sugar, add yeast in a little well), turn on and walk away.

When done doing it's thing, take it out and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. NOTE: For years, I would use too much flour because my dough would stick which caused the dough to be dryer ... just sprinkle flour if it's sticking ...

Once it's rolled out, place on a well greased baking tray (I use butter, why not?) and cover with a damp towel (cloth napkin) til double in size.

Go back and take a peek at how mine is looking after about 40 minutes ...

Make your three slashes to release the steam from inside while baking. Make yourself a little egg wash (egg white a dash of water, whisk til foamy) and brush the loaf and you will have a beautiful shiny golden brown crust when baked. Bake in a preheated oven set to 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool before slicing ... and can I recommend that you have some slices slathered with butter and GRILLED with your dinner tonight?

Linking up with Life As Mom - Ultimate Recipe Swap!

Original recipe adapted from The Frugal Girl

Frugal - At Home Microdermabrasion

2011-10-05T06:50:00.001-04:00

It’s Wednesday, and you know that means!?

Works For Me Wednesday!! I love some of the stuff I can glean from those that link up! If you haven’t been over there, you really should check it out …

Of course, that’s not what MY WFMW is … I can only wish that I could find something that will relax and soothe my brain and blood pressure.

Been an extremely rough week so far at work. Way busier the past two days than the whole month of September. Ugg. But never fear, I will pull through and still manage to laugh and have a mini party! What I wouldn't do for a full day at the spa to get me some pampering done … but alas, real life interferes, not to mention financials!

So, on with What’s Working For ME!

A frugal, super easy microdermabrasion facial cleaner. Got it through Pinterest of course! Tried it Saturday night while showering and will do it again this evening.

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon water

Mix the two well in small dish to make a paste. I actually added a tad more water to make it a little smoother because at first it was hard to apply (leaning face over my hand and rubbing) and ROUGH!

Apply by rubbing in small circular motions and rinse.

You know, it just makes your skin glow, and it does clean. But if your skin is sensitive, definitely don’t rub HARD like I did! I had a little leftover so I took to my feet, and now I'm thinking, dang, this would be a great, invigorarting treatment to the feet, so thats being added to my list of things to try!

Another frugal beauty tip brought to you by a not so beauty queenish gal J

Hop on over to the Works For ME Wednesday link up and find some more awesome tips!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-04T07:48:00.000-04:00

Ummm, Hi!

A few days late on the menu plan, huh. Yeah, join the club!

It's been busy around here. Getting the garden ready (because we garden in the fall and winter!).

Getting a new blog set up for 2012 (The Year of Zero).

Balancing the checkbook and budgeting for the month of October.

Trying not to stress about the lack of REAL available cash (to think that this used to be NORMAL for me).

And well, trying to be creative in the kitchen too ... but I seem to have temporarily lost my mojo. Huh.

Sunday - chicken thighs (deal I picked up Friday, $4 for 5 lbs of thighs) and steamed broccoli (gag)

Monday - chef salad (6 heads of SMALL romaine for $6 at Whole Foods, good lord, this will feed us for maybe 5 meals?)

Tuesday - steak salad (using leftover steak from Saturday night) - steak from freezer)

Wednesday - OUT (Hubby and I've decided to make Wednesday night our local dining experience ... we try to keep it under $40 maximum)

Thursday - Cashew Chicken stirfry and garlic rice pilaf (recipe to post soon) (all in freezer and pantry, yes!)

Friday - Sausage and Peppers on the grill (bread or not?) (sausage from freezer, may have to buy peppers and onions by this time)

Saturday - Hubby's choice as I'm not sure if we are boating or not? Could be sandwiches, pasta, something boring, possibly gourmet, depends on his mood!

The freezers are getting a little more emptier each week. I am at least able to comfortably put ice cream in there now (Eggnog is now available at Publix!). Hubby wants to get them E. M. P. T. Y. which causes me major anxiety in that "what if" mode!

Yeah, so it's a boring week. What can I say? I'm not motivated whatsoever!

Linking up with Organzing Junkie, Menu Plan Monday ... go check it out!

Whole Foods - NOT so Frugal

2011-09-30T13:16:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if you already knew this? I DO and I still go there.

I had that Living Social deal where you paid $10 for a $20 gift card dodaddy thing. So I figured, heck, I won't buy much because I just can't justify the cost of alot of the stuff.

Yeah. So much for that theory anymore. Uggg... Browsing gets me in trouble every time.

3.63lbs of Honey Crisp apples ... been reading about these and since my boss was on this apple and peanut butter kick at the office lately, thought I would contribute ... de. LIC. ious! OMG. If you haven't tried them, you should. They are the BEST! $1.99 lb (organic!) and $7.22 total. I so see myself going back to buy more next week YIKES.

Special sausage of week was chicken spicy italian, got 6 for $5.94 (this is how I try to introduce Hubby to new options)

1 thing of green onions (the garden ones are wimpy so these will be planted) $1.49
baby carrots, organic (the last ones were super sweet) $1.99 for a 1 lb bag
pkg of snow peas $2.30
3 limes at 59 cents each $1.77
4 pk of hess avocados FREE because I was joking around with the produce dude about the price ($4.99)
1.77 lb banana at 69 cents/lb (same as Publix but these look better) $1.22
bunch of cilantro (pretty) $2.69 (uh huh, I know), the bottoms (roots) are already chopped off and planted in the garden to compare to the following item
1 potted cilantro herb $4.99 (I want to see what grows better, the 4 healthy roots I cut off or this thing)
Sartori basil & olive oil cheese (to die for!) $9.11
Dalamatia fig spread $5.99
domestic brie 60% $2.99
jarlsberg lite cheese wedge $2.20
amadeus cheese wedge $2.80
NY flatbread with everything $5.99 (um, these are crackers, I did NOT know they cost that much til just now, wth)
1.99 lbs of heirloom tomatoes at $4.99 lb for $total of $9.93. Holey cow. $10 for 4 tomatoes? I am taking the seeds and starting them to grow in the garden this winter (our planting season). I need to research how to preserve them as I'm sure there will be ALOT there.
Grand total was $68.62
Less the $20 gift card total was $48.62.

I had an embarrassing moment though at the end. My debit card wouldn't go through and I was soooo embarrassed. Omg. I guess I didn't remember that the gym dues come out that day AND my deposit from the previous day had NOT cleared (um, $400 vs $20 available really stinks) ... as the bank reminded me, deposits are only cleared and available of what you have to match. Guess it's been so long since I've had to 'worry' about cleared funds ... Ugg. Fortunately I had cash to pay but still.

So, anyways, way more expensive than I like. The cheese, fig spread, tomatoes and crackers are for what I hope to be a convincing moment for Hubby to do something different and take a walk over to the ocean, spread a blanket and sit on the sand one evening for a romantic evening of doing something DIFFERENT. I so wanted to tote it as a FREE EVENING, but obviously, it's going to be expensive (toss in a bottle of wine) ... so I will leave that out and just say different :)

OH ... there is a new store being built down the road from here. Fresh Market. I'm so excited as everyone compares it to Whole Foods as being BETTER and less pricier. That would be nice!

Rubber band magic

2011-09-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

Well, ok, not really magic, but something that totally Works for Me!

See, we like to pretend that we are sous chefs in the house ...ok, again. Not really.

However, you all know that I LOVE to shop Costco, and it's where I buy my olive oil and canola oil. Well who in the heck wants to lug around a gallon plus size of oil for a measly teaspoon? Not ME!

So here's what we do ...

Get yourself a food grade squirt bottle (I got mine from the dollar store)

Add your oil and put the cap on.

Find one of them big fat rubber bands that you saved off the broccoli heads (pink or purple are preferred)

Get a piece of paper towel and fold it in half and then continue folding longways.

Wrap the paper towel around the bottle and secure it with the fat rubber band.

Ok. Raise your hand if you want to know WHY I did this??

That sticky icky residue that oil leaves behind overtime? You know, the kind that won't wipe off? Not to mention that evil little ring from the small dribble down the side.

The paper towel will stop it dead in it's tracks and you will have a nice icky-proof grip.

Works for Me!