FISH MARKET FUN

Good morning kids! How are you doing today? I am good. I had a very interesting but fun day yesterday that I am just dying to tell you about. There are lots of pictures to share today, so grab your java and let the journey begin!

I had to take care of some personal business in Galveston. I offered the kids to go to the beach, but they politely declined. DD said it would be too crowded and she just wasn’t in the mood. OK so we find something else to do! I cashed in a winning scratch off on the way home and guess what? I won a little money! $30… not much but better than a poke in the eye! SO, I got 5 more $1 tickets (cause that is what I spent LOL) and $25 cash back. Free money is good! Sadly, from those 5 I only won $1... oh well LOL.



First a few things I have to share with you in my garden… I am so happy and proud! Look at my pretty strawberries! OMG they almost made me cry this morning when I went out there to water my babies and I saw these red beacons of hope shining back at me! The plants are thriving, sprouting runners, and blooms and berries YAY!



This is a soon to be eggplant! Throughout the thriving 9 plants I have, I have been able to spot 5-6 blooms already! YAY! My DH has never had the opportunity to see many fruits and veggies grown from plants (yes he lived in a cave a as kid LOL) so he is always amazed at my gardening LOL. He has never seen an eggplant and was tickled over this flower (just wait dear… just wait! We were in for a surprise later!)



Here is my cucumber vines! I have 5 flowers that will turn into cute little cucumbers! I have to get some trellis for them to grow big and strong! There is a lot of other great improvements that make me so happy each time I go out there! I will keep you updated!



Ok, so I saw a commercial for a shrimp dinner and I started having a craving… YUMMMM shrimp! I know, you would think I had enough seafood after last weekend… and honestly, so did I. UNTIL this commercial! I had been looking at some of the things to do and nothing was striking my fancy to take the family to do. Well the DH tells me my DB might be coming over tomorrow… and then of course his GF might be with, and who knows who else, so guess what… we decided we are gonna grill! AND so we decided we wanted to go to the fish market today as a family outing! The DD and DH suggested we just go walk around Kemah. I thought it was a good idea, but I had something better! I told them let’s go buy some shrimp! I mean after all, I DID get that free money off that ticket and I wanted shrimp! So we put a small ice chest in the trunk and were off! Here they are looking all cute in front of the first fish house we went to!



So we parked in one of the lots and decided to Then while we were walking down the road, I noticed these plants with pretty purple flowers… hey those flowers look familiar!! OMG I walked closer and noticed all the tons of eggplant plants everywhere in the vacant destroyed area! Someone planted tons of veggie plants in a rubble filled lot still wrecked from Hurricane IKE! They were covered in baby eggplants and blooms!



There was this plant too… not sure if it’s a squash, a pumpkin, or what but I see these golden blossoms that look like pumpkin… who knows. But they had a small fencing piece up holding u p vines and holding in the plants. I might have to continue visiting in order to monitor and admire the progress!



That’s Madison’s hands holding a String bean that had to be about 2 foot long! They are all along this gate and they are huge!



This is a patch that’s closer to the destroyed buildings and the Bay. I think these are peppers and some more eggplant in the center… not sure as nothing had fruits or flowers on it to be able to tell. But the leaves looked familiar. Either way, it’s a wonderful view amidst the destruction.



Here is another large group of eggplant plants in the rubble ridden lot. Whoever planted them here was rather smart, as they used old pipes and rods that were sticking up in the dirt for props for the plants I guess they knew would become rather large. The saddest thing is that for the life of me, I cannot remember what these crumbling buildings used to be... and for some reason that upsets me!



Here is a cucumber plant growing up the side of the fence. This cucumber looks a wee bit dehydrated LOL but at least it grew!



This is a close up of the tiny little eggplants on some of the plants. Aren’t they the cutest little things?! Remember I told you the DH had never seen eggplants actually grow before? You should have seen his little eyes when he saw these! LOL it was like a kid in a candy store!

We made sure not to disturb anything we looked at. The only thing we took was pictures! We don’t know if these plants belong to anyone or if someone just did a RAOK (Random Act Of Kindness) and planted them here to give the community hope after the storm. Either way, I made sure the gang did not touch or take anything. It was so cool to see this in a storm ravaged area. Very hopeful and very refreshing! Ok back to shopping for our dinner LOL!



Now I wanted fresh shrimp… but I am not sure I wanted them THIS fresh LOL! Isn’t that so creepy how their eyes glow gold when you take pictures of them in the tank?! Although DS14 thought this was the coolest thing! He got SUPER excited when he saw these little fellas!



We came home with 1 pound of jumbo shrimp and 3 pounds of colossal shrimp and a very decent sized milkfish. Here you see me playing around and joking to kiss the cute little thing goodbye LOL! Milkfish is a very tender fish whose meat turns white “like milk” when cooked. It is a very popular fish in Japan. It was a good buy so we decided to bring one home. LOL now I know my mom said, and I have told my kids, not to play with your food… but I was just about to have too much fun with this LOL!



The first “victim” to When Fish Attack was the DS! LOL I snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder. He turned around and kinda jumped like WHOA WTH! LMAO OMG I almost dropped the fish and fell on the floor I was laughing so hard!



Here is the DD who was not as fun as the others. She wanted to make out with the fish LOL! So we got her kissing him goodbye too! Then we started singing the McDonalds filet o fish song LOL which then turned into Joy to the World song where we “swim with the fishes in the deep blue sea” LMAO!



Now this is one of my cats… Rebel. He wanted to smell it, but surprisingly wanted nothing to do with it! I have good cats. I have raised them not to beg or go for human food and not to mention, I think it kinda bothered him. Oh he smelled it, but then backed away. Same with Pitts and Princess… they wanted nothing to do with this fish or the shrimp! I have good kitties!



As for what’s for dinner? I used the 1 pound of jumbo shrimp for some Shrimp Alfredo and a nice fresh salad! Isn’t that so pretty? The tiny tomatoes and the fresh parsley are from my garden! Now, here’s a cost breakdown of last nights dinner:

Lettuce for salad: $0.35
Tomatoes: FREE
Red Onion: $0.05
Sunflower seeds: $0.05
Dressing: $0.05
Pasta: $0.25 after coupon
Sauce: $0.75 after coupon
Fresh Parsley: FREE
Shrimp: $3.69

TOTAL FOR DINNER: $5.19

Not bad for a family of 4 huh? I am going to try to stay away from the grocery store if at all possible the rest of the month. The one exception will be for milk and eggs but no more groceries… I know I keep saying that, but I HAVE to find the willpower to actually do it LOL! Maybe I need food shopper’s anonymous LMAO!

There was one incident with a drunken man in the middle of the HEB parking lot that wasn't so great yesterday. I'm not gonna dwell on it cause he will pay for what he's done, but my DD's reaction was so funny and it just proves that she is my child without a doubt. After the altercation, she yells out in front of everyone, "Geez, some people are just not happy without their daily fix, huh?" (Referring to the strong smell of alcohol on the man and the fact he pulled into the liquor store after the incident) LOL! Ain't she a hoot?

Once dinner was over, the rest of the night was designated relaxation time… especially since we might have a busy grill day tomorrow. We put away the leftover pasta and salad and then DH did the dishes while I tended to downloading pictures and prepping the kids for showers and bed. Now I am hoping to get some crafting done in the morning hours today, but we shall see. As of right now, I’m just not feeling it! But just because I’m not, doesn’t mean I am going to leave you hanging without a cool idea. I am really liking that Craft Gossip site. They have some of the coolest ideas on there! Like I found a link for 22 Ways to Recycle old CD’s and some of them are super cool! You have to check them out! Like this cool Idea for making a dumbbell weight!



Craft Idea of the Day: CD Dumbbell and other CD crafts

150 CDs, about 75 on each side, on a threaded rod from the hardware store and then (8) bolts to hold it all together. No tools needed. Just thread it all and bolt it tight.

Is that not incredibly awesome? They have things like phone docks, wall paper, lamps and shades, sculptures, disco balls, curtains, clocks, frames, weather vanes, and even a chair! Make sure you go check them out.

Ok everybody, its time for today’s Farmer Favorites, which have a bit of spice. I have selected some curried favorites to make your mouth water. Curry dishes are hugely popular in the Indian cuisine. Long been a popular range of dishes, curries are now fast becoming some of the most often made meals in the world. The contrast of spicyness and taste makes a curry welcome by almost everyone. Here are a couple to start you off, and there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, more recipes out there using curry if you find that you like the flavor! Eat and Enjoy!



Aloo Gobi

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and add onion. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes, then stir in garlic and cumin. Continue to cook until onion begins to brown.

Stir in tomatoes and coconut and the coriander, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Stir until mixture begins to boil, then put in the potatoes, cauliflower, and garbanzo beans.

Blend well. Reduce heat to low and cover.

Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to an hour (this will depend on the size of the potato chunks).



Coconut Curry Tofu

Ingredients

2 bunches green onions
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chile paste
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups chopped bok choy
salt to taste

Directions

Remove white parts of green onions, and finely chop. Chop greens into 1 inch pieces.

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and chile paste. Bring to a boil.

Stir tofu, tomatoes, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and finely chopped green onions into the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in basil and bok choy. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce.

Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but crisp. Garnish with remaining green onion.

(NOTE**) When serving over rice, you might want to double the recipe for the sauce!

Ok kids, that concludes today’s spicy adventures in Frugalville LOL! Join me again tomorrow for lots more fun, crafts, and craziness as we wrap up another crazy week in the life of the Frugal Mom! Until tomorrow… HUGS!