PIZZA PERFECTION WEEK

Good morning out there in Internet land! How are you doing today? Me, well I have seen better days. But I am alive to breathe another day, so I’m always glad for that! Thanks to everyone for their comments yesterday. You are very sweet. I did some sewing and weird cooking last night that I will share with you in a few days LOL!

To my darling Hazel… for your potluck church function… do you want hot or cold, soup, salad, or entrée, etc.? Since starting this blog, I have spotlighted over 200 yummy recipes alone... plus count the millions you can find online LOL... I need a starting point darling! LOL! Now, if you want a soup… my mom would probably swear by the Chicken Tortilla soup I make her (she claims to like it better than restaurants LOL). My husband would say Refried Bean or Potato (for his non spicy faves), the DS18 picks Mulligatawny or butternut Squash, and the DD the Chicken Fried Steak Soup. LOL However, I would also say this vegetable with sausage one I just made the other day would be a fabulous pick too! If you want more of an entrée dish I recommend a casserole really. The Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie, Mexican Shepherd’s Pie, or the Tuna Casserole are some main faves around here. Casseroles are easy one dish wonders that can wow a crowd. So think about what type of dish you want first and go from there.

Ok, its time for the frugal article of today. Actually its an older article I just stumbled upon this morning that I thought would be a good feature for the frugalness that earns my respected title LOL!

Top Tips for Feeding Your Family on a Budget

by Ruth Mantell
Thursday, January 21, 2010

Tough times call for tough meat.

Cuts such as brisket can be easy on a family's budget, and that's a boon during tight economic times.

"Forget filet mignon," said Bryan Voltaggio, chef of Volt in Frederick, Md., and a 'Top Chef' finalist. "Short ribs, shoulder cuts can be much more luscious and much more hearty for your family, and make a really great presentation."

Last week I bought a $25 brisket that, with a couple of potatoes, an onion and some spices, was enough for five generous portions. Preparation was easy and the meal required little attention during its three hours in the oven -- a couple of particularly attractive traits for a home cook with a 4-month-old baby and only two hands.

Tougher cuts that cook for a long time may also put fretful parents at ease about food-borne illness.

"Some parents will feel that the meat is safer to eat for their kids, as typically they are braises which will be cooked over long periods of time, versus a lean, tender cut which you would want to cook at a lesser temperature," Voltaggio said.

As families on a budget continue to feel financial stresses from the recession, here are some expert tips to help them eat healthy and delicious meals.

Buy in Bulk

Many parents are used to buying staples such as rice in bulk. But families with enough freezer space can also purchase proteins that way, Voltaggio said.

"Buying a side of cattle from a butcher, you buy it at a much cheaper per-pound rate," he said. "You can specify how you like it. It's a good way to stock up and buy at a comfortable price ahead of time. For a large family beef is a commodity."

City dwellers with slim refrigerators can split such a large purchase with another family. When my mother, Nancy Mantell, an economist, was feeding her growing young family, she and another mother bought a lamb to share every couple of months.

"We were young and didn't have that much money. It was cheaper to buy a whole lamb and have the butcher cut it for us rather than to buy it already cut at the grocery store," she said. "We didn't have a lot of freezer space, but we had enough for half a lamb."

Use Every Scrap

I roasted a chicken a few days ago, and plan to make a pot pie with the leftovers.

Using every bit of your proteins is a good way to keep down costs, said Alicia Horton, executive director of Thrive DC, a homeless services provider that feeds almost 200 people a day. Thrive DC's staff makes the most of the protein they have: "Not only stretching it, but also utilizing every scrap," Horton said. "We have two chefs on staff and they are magicians."

Acquiring enough protein for 200 people is always a challenge because it's the more expensive part of the meal, Horton said. Donors may give a ham, but they rarely donate 10 hams, she said. To make use of all the available protein, Thrive DC has a buffet each week.

"It's when we kind of clean house," Horton said. "Anything that was left over for the week, smaller portions that may not suffice for an entire meal, we just have a big buffet and everybody can have a bit of what's available."

Cook Like You're at Home

Pricey gadgets and exotic ingredients have a place, but it may not be your home.

Home cooks without loads of time and money may want to stick with straightforward family fare, said Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's former personal chef and co-owner of Chicago's Table Fifty-Two, where the first couple celebrated Valentine's Day.

"Don't try to reproduce food from a restaurant," Smith said. "Restaurants have a lot of special equipment, and it's just not cost effective for a home cook."

Glamorous ingredients can be a waste for a home chef. For instance, Voltaggio recommended that home chefs avoid truffles "unless you have a really reputable supplier and you know when truffles are in season. It's a lot of money to invest in something like that and it's definitely a luxury."

Smith noted that many high-end ingredients are not necessarily healthy choices. "Foie gras tastes good, but it's deadly fattening," Smith said. "A little bit is good, but a little bit goes a long way."

Buy Local Produce, Shop Around

Chefs recommend local produce for home cooks. "You can go to a great local market where they have great apples as opposed to trying to seek out something that is not as local," Smith said.

Voltaggio said home cooks should take advantage of community-supported agriculture arrangements in which consumers buy seasonal produce directly from local farmers. Typically, a family buys a "share" of a CSA to receive weekly packages of seasonal goods.

"Some people look at CSAs as a luxury, but there's really great value," Voltaggio said. "Some farmers will overfill the baskets just because they have an abundance of crops."

CSA consumers are essentially buying vegetable futures, Voltaggio said.

"Versus buying in the store, CSAs are typically cheaper," Voltaggio said. "It's a win for the farmer because you are guaranteeing his income, which will keep local agriculture alive. This is a good way to keep your money in your community."

However, there are risks, such as inclement weather. Farmers can't guarantee that consumers get exactly what they want every season. Also, CSA shares are limited, and you might be put on a wait-list.

Also, Smith said home cooks should comparison shop rather than trying to buy all of their food at one location.

"Everyone when they shop wants convenience. You can get everything at one market but you are going to pay more for it," Smith said. "The only way you can ensure high quality at a better price is to shop around and be aware."

Copyrighted, MarketWatch. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of MarketWatch content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of MarketWatch. MarketWatch shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Ok time to craft… now I just got started on some spiffy sewing last night. And one of the things I am building is a lotto ticket purse… you know me and my recycling! Other people’s trash is usually my treasure LOL. About a decade ago I was making purses and bags from Capri Sun pouches and candy bar wrappers and people thought they were so unique. NOW I see them in Wal-Mart! Man I should have patented that years ago! I would've been rich! Oh well... LMAO! So I have decided to move up in the world LOL! See, mom likes to play the scratch off lotto tickets. I normally don’t play, but recently I bought some. Then I decided to keep the non-winning tickets and now I am trying to fashion them into a purse. I've been collecting other non-winners from people too! I gotta be careful though… this will be a one shot wonder ya know? But until then, I found a great excuse for you to endulge in a little fruity goodness LOL!



Craft Idea of the Day: Starburst Wrapper Necklace

Materials:

Scissors
Needle
Wire or quilting thread (optional)
Necklace Clasps
110-130 starburst wrappers (depends on neck size)

Directions:

First measure the size of your neck using the string/wire and cut it using wire cutters or scissors (you should add a couple inches just in case).

Next, fold each individual star burst wrapper into squares about the size of your pinky tip.

String each individual star burst wrapper until the thread/wire is generally full.

Tie the necklace clasps onto the wire. And that’s about it!

Ok now that you have a candy wrapper craft, eating all that candy must have made you hungry for some real food, huh? Well I decided to make this Pizza Week. Each Day from yesterday until Sunday, I will feature a delicious pizza recipe I think you would enjoy. Here is one veggie style. You could also melt some cheddar cheese on the top just before serving and send your taste buds to heaven! Or leave the cheese off for a truly chilled treat!



Cool Veggie Pizza

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
Finely diced zucchini, mushrooms, green peppers, green onions and tomatoes all work well as toppings

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan or 13 inch round pizza stone, arrange the crescent roll dough in a single layer. Pinch together the edges of the dough. Bake for 12 minutes, or until it becomes a golden brown crust.

Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and dill. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture on the crust. Sprinkle toppings on top of the cream cheese spread. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the spread to thicken.

Cut the chilled pizza into wedges or squares with a pizza cutter to serve.

Alright everybody, I’ve enjoyed our morning together. Now it is time for me to get dressed and head out. I hope to see you again tomorrow for more fun and java jolted excitement! HUGS!

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT?

Well hi there friends in the blogland! I have to tell you my mother loved all your gifts! She said to extend a sincere thank you to you and she said she will thank you “in person” over the PC as soon as she is back! I gotta tell ya, her room looks like the local florist shop LOL and I think its great. She smiles all the time when she looks at it! It’s awesome! Shoot, you are amazing the nurses too! Mom thinks it’s just the coolest thing LOL! And Tabitha, she almost cried when I told her about your donation to the Animal Rescue in her name… she said “That’s my girl” and got teary eyed… so thank you. That touched her so much!

Ok today’s frugal corner… gotta keep earning my title, right? LOL! Anyway, I ran across this article… not sure how… but it was interesting and I wanted to share it with you!

A Frugal Mom’s 5 Ways to save money

There are plenty of ways to get exactly what you want without spending a dime and without doing anything illegal. Jennifer Jolly gives you five ways to save money.

1.Stop spending more than you absolutely have to:

One of the easiest ways to cut down the family budget fast is to get cell-phone savvy

Stop spending more than you have to - get cell phone savvy and find prepaid, no-contract cell phone plans where you only pay for what you need. There are plans out there now that offer tremendous savings each month - Boost Mobile is expected to launch a new unlimited plan in the near future that offers a nationwide home calling area for one low monthly fee - that's a great value in today's economy.

Prepaid wireless plans are a great way to save money - they can often be paid by the minute, day or month to let you control exactly how much you spend, and with no contract, you can make changes to your service whenever you need to.

One of Boost's camera phones, the Motorola i776, is only $99. Again, no contracts, just buy what you need.

Also, see billshrink for an excellent tool that asks you a few questions about your current plan, and then finds alternatives for you.

Another way to save is to comparison shop:

By spending ten minutes or less online doing a little comparison shopping for things like insurance, you can save tons of money.

More than a third of drivers say they never shop for car insurance.

Evaluating your car insurance regularly is a great way to save. If you've moved, gotten married or bought a home, check with your insurance company - you may be eligible for lower rates.

Auto insurance rates can vary greatly from company to company, so shop around to find the best deal. It only takes about 8 minutes to get a quote and check comparison rates at progressive.com.

2007 data showed people who shopped around and switched to Progressive insurance reported saving over $350 on their annual premium.

2. Don't buy when you can borrow:

For the family:

Santa brought Jennifer Jolly's daughter a Wii for Christmas and they were super psyched, until they realized that the games they wanted to play on it cost about $60 a piece. That's where Gamefly comes in.

Rent video games for your kids, don't buy them. Use Gamefly.com, the Netflix of the video game world. Gamefly.com lets you try all the games you want for as long as you want while only paying $15.95 a month. Rent 1-4 games at a time and keep them for as long as they like. Your favorite gamer can try all of Gamefly's 6,000 titles without breaking the bank. Through GameFly, you can purchase used video games at a very discounted price too

On a more decadent note:

Designer Handbags, sunglasses, jewelry and watches:

Bagborroworsteal: for about $40 you can borrow a Coach, Gucci or Louis Vuitton handbag that would cost you $1,000 or more to buy.

Frombagstoriches: They will rent you a designer bag, best used for special occasions like an Oscar party, your wedding or the prom because the rentals can get expensive and before you know you could have just bought one.

If you want a bag that stands out for a hundred dollars instead of thousands, renting makes sense.

3. Swapping is HOT!

The average consumer spends about $1,750 a year on clothing and its upkeep, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey.

Free Books, DVD's and Videogames:

Swaptree allows people to trade used and like-new books, DVDs, CDs and video games with other people online for FREE. Users list items that they are looking to trade, select items that they would like in return, and Swaptree's technology connects users with someone to trade with. It's up to the user whether or not to accept or reject the trade. And, since swapping on the site is free, users only have to pay for S&H. Over 1 million people across the country trade on Swaptree.

Free Clothes, accessories and cosmetics:

Clothingswap: Simply bring clean, gently worn and new clothing, shoes and accessories that you no longer wear or use. SWAP and take home your favorites for free. All unclaimed items are donated directly to local non-profit shelters and charities to help those in need.

Swapstyle is an online fashion swap party where you can and lots more with people from all around the world at any time, day or night. You pay the cost of shipping and a small fee to register.

About swapping stuff, On barterquest you can not only swap dvds, books, games and cds but anything you can imagine! clothes, electronics, even services!

4. When it comes to travel, only rookies pay retail

Leather seats, enough room to cross your legs, free cocktails -- what's not to love about flying business or first class? And it's surprisingly easy to do at coach prices by combining points earned from credit cards and from frequent flier programs on an aggregator site like points.com.

At points.com, you can track, redeem, earn and-for the first time ever, trade your points with other people in order to accumulate enough for a free flight or to do some shopping.

With many airlines, it takes just 10,000 miles to yourself to business or first-class, an easy enough target to reach given the numerous bonus point offers currently available. United Airlines, for example, offers 150 miles for every $250 spent at major grocery chains like Safeway. American Airlines gives you 1,500 bonus miles for trying Netflix.

Second: the airlines are desperate to fill every seat.

There are all kinds of great flight deals out there right now. Go to cheapflights.com to find the best deals - Orbitz, JetBlues, Expedias - they're all there in one place - so you save precious time as well as money. They have flexible booking options that help you to find a good deal to your destination without having to search just for prices on specific dates.

Don't be spooked, we are seeing some of the best travel deals in history right now. If you know what you're doing, you can spend a fraction of what the person sitting next to you on the airplane did.

Third: Just about every hotel and resort has some hot deal right now:

For instance, the swanky Kimpton hotel chain is offering breakfast for a dollar - the very same breakfast that could run well into the double digits each day. Book the "Breakfast for Just $1 More" package and get continental breakfast for two each morning for just a buck! This is good at any of their 44 hotels for stays through March 1st (based upon availability, of course) - that includes any of the Hotel Monacos (Seattle, SF, Denver), any of the Hotel Palomars (SF, Los Angeles) as well as the Hotel Solamar in San Diego. Visit www.kimptonhotels.com for details. Enter "EAT" in the promo code box or request this special package when booking.

5. If you're going to buy, go big, buy a house:

Here's the big ticket item for living large while paying less. If you use a non-traditional brokerage like ziprealty.com, you will get money back in the form of a rebate check.

If you buy a $300,000 house, you'll typically get $1,800 back, enough to buy furniture or pay the closing costs.

On top of that, the ZipRealty offers tons of information and user-friendly tools to help with your search including a new "Foreclosure Search," the ability to rate the agents you work with, and track price reductions for housing you are looking at.

Thinking green? Need a Starbucks in walking distance for your morning fix? ZipRealty features walkscore ratings for every listing that will tell you how "walkable" or "Car-dependent" the house and neighborhood is.

Foreclosure data is cross-checked to ensure homes are bank-owned properties and currently for sale. And if foreclosures aren't for you, the foreclosure search allows home-seekers who don't want to deal with the hassles of a foreclosure house (i.e., more cash needed upfront, having to compete with professional investors, downtrodden properties) to omit these from their search results.



Ok, now I have to ask something. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to… but I would love some feedback here. Ok… now being in a hospital daily, you see some “not-so-great” things. One is the so frail and elderly people who can’t do anything for themselves. I’m talking the (barely) living human skeletons laying in the bed having everything done for them. Could you do that or would you like to be laid to rest peacefully? On one hand, I can see how my family would want me to live… because they love me and don’t want to lose me. But really what kind of QUALITY of life is that? Is it selfish of the family to want the person alive or selfish of the person to want to pass?? Can you see the moral dilemma? I can imagine that its probably a rather painful existence. I can tell you that I do NOT want to end up like that… call it my stubbornness, call it selfish, whatever you want I don’t care. If I am so frail I can’t get out of bed and take care of myself like that… its time to go. I will have led a full life and it will be time to move on. I have an advanced directive and hopefully that will apply to that sort of scenario. I gotta check on that! Is it wrong to think that way? What would you want? Its just food for thought ya know.

Oh, and just in case you or a loved one needs special parking, check with your local DOT for forms to apply for handicapped parking plates or placards to make it a little easier when you go out. If you live in Texas, you can download and fill out the form HERE. Print it off and have your physician fill out the rest. Then depending on whether he/she says you are temporary or permanent, you will get your plates/placards according to color. Take it to your registration office and that’s where you get them.

Ok I want to move on to happier topics… let’s make something cool! One of the things I did/do is sweep my parents house, removing footprints, etc. from the new floors. Mom has a Swiffer mop to use in the house. Well having to buy those disposable pads is not only expensive, but its wasteful. So why not recycle some old kitchen towels that maybe are too stained to display and make a reusable cloth for your swiffer mop! I thought this was super cool and when I get a moment that I am free (HAHA what a joke, right?! Its ok, I told ya… anything for my family!) I am thinking about making one for me and one for my mom… until then, lets file it in the TO-MAKE lobe of my brain LOL! But nothing’s stopping you, so here ya go!



Craft Idea of the Day: Reusable Swiffer Mop Covers

Materials:

· Basic sewing supplies (machine, thread, scissors, iron, etc)
· 2 pieces of terrycloth material (eg. towels), at least 12 x 14” each
· 2 large and colorful buttons, or velcro
· Tracing paper

How to:

On a piece of tracing paper, copy the dimensions of the cover using the measurements provided. Using your pattern, cut out two pieces of the fabric.



Fire up your sewing machine and your iron.



Pin the fabric right sides together. Beginning on one long end of the cover, sew around the entire cover using a ½” seam, leaving a four-inch opening for turning. Due to the bulk and nature of the fabric, it will slide around a lot while sewing so be sure to reset the fabric into place here and there.

Using scissors, clip off the corners to eliminate bulk and clip diagonally into the inner (don’t clip the seams, however!).

Turn the cover right side out, using a chopstick to get into those difficult corners.

Press the cover into shape with a hot iron. Press the seams under where the opening is.

Topstitch around the entire cover ¼” inside the edge, thus closing the opening where you turned the cover. Topstitch five horizontal lines along the bottom of the cover (this gives the cover shape).

I use buttons for attaching my cover but if you’re leery of buttonholing on terrycloth (and I wouldn’t blame you if you were!), you could use Velcro for attaching the cover. For the perfectionist, you could place a square of stabilizer beneath the buttonhole area for stabilization of the buttonholes----but hey, it is just a swiffer cover, after all…!

Now try your swiffer cover on. Pull it up snug. On the flaps, mark the placement of the buttons and buttonholes----again, you want the cover to be snug, especially if you will be using the cover wet. For example, I placed my buttons 1 ½” from the edges.

Hold your breath and sew two horizontal buttonholes corresponding to your marks and your button sizes. Sew on your buttons.

Put your swiffer cover on and ooh and ahh with delight for now you can swiff your floors in style!
**Note: This cover is reversible. To make it so, place buttons or velcro on both sides of the flaps.

Isn’t that super cool? I thought it was awesome! I’m a velcro girl myself… I hate buttons. On anything really… I have such large hands, I fumble buttons so much- especially small ones like on women’s blouses, etc. It’s a curse! Now, lets move on to something else I love… FOOD! Now you know I like to make lots of different kinds of soups. I found this soup and made it as a pure experiment… a small batch just out of sheer curiosity. I was actually very impressed with the taste. I was expecting something majorly gross, but it was surprisingly quite pleasing… especially if you like pickles! Yes I am one of those who will try just about anything LOL! Pair this with a hamburger for a super interesting treat.



Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Ingredients

1 pound beef neck bones
1 cup mixed vegetables
2 cups diced dill pickles
2 quarts water or beef broth
2 cups diced potatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
salt to taste

Directions

In a large pot, place neck bones, vegetables, and pickles. Add water. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes.

Add potatoes; cook until soft, about 20 minutes.

Remove neck bones. Increase heat to medium-high. Combine flour and milk in a small bowl, and gradually stir into soup. Continue stirring until mixture boils. Season to taste with salt.

Well kids, that’s all for me today. I’m fixing to put on my green M&M scrubs and make my way up to the hospital to be with mom. Oh fudge LOL I remember, I have to ask my new “friend” in the hospital cafeteria if she can give me the recipe for the chicken noodle soup my mom seems to like so much! LOL… wish me luck on that one! Ok, well join me back here tomorrow for more “cheap” chit chat LMAO! Ya’ll have a great day and be safe in whatever you do! HUGS!

I LOVE FRUGALITY!

Well a big early morning hello to you all! How are you doing this humid weekday morning? Jean Darling, where have you been? LMAO… I told everyone about my fall and suspected broken bones like over a week ago LOL! So how did that meatloaf turn out? Who ended up making it? LOL. I want to let Jean know that I got the card for my mother and will be taking it to her. Same with Tabitha… the lily was delivered today, and the Carter Family… the Bougainvillea was delivered today too. They are wonderful… and I will be delivering them this morning as well. She will love them, thanks! Just proves again how I have the best readers!

Ok, now I found this article and I just HAD to post it for my Dad! It’s a bit of electronic frugalness for you! LOL!



Nab a Deal on a Big-Screen TV
The old sets aren't much different than the new ones -- and they're cheaper.
By Jeff Bertolucci, Contributing Writer

Ah, springtime. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and big-screen TVs are screaming deals that can't be beat. What's so special about spring? Retailers are making room for new TV sets that were launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, so they're dropping prices on older models.

But this leads to a conundrum as old as the seasons: Buy one of last year's closeout TVs and save a few bucks, or invest in a new, 2010 model as a hedge against obsolescence? This year, at least, the answer is clear: Get a closeout model and save some money.

Consider the Sony Bravia sets. Last year's 52-inch VE5 Eco Series HDTV runs about $1,550. Sony's new model, the KDL-52NX800, features some cutting-edge tech that early adopters will pay for, but it costs $1,250 more.

The sweet spot. For the best dollar-per-inch value, look for sets selling for about $1,000. At that price, you'll find 46- and 47-inch LCD sets, as well as 50-inch plasmas, from top vendors such as Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp and Sony. Still too pricey? Top-tier 42-inch TVs go for $700 to $800. The savings at this price level aren't as great, but you can still pocket $100 by buying last year's model.

If you haven't shopped for an HDTV in the past year, you're in for some surprises. Many LCD models — even some of the remaining 2009 models — are stunningly thin. And with refresh rates that have gone from 60 Hz to 120 Hz, the newer sets do a better job of displaying fast motion, which is especially important for watching sports.

Another trend is LED backlighting on LCD sets. The use of LEDs — light-emitting diodes — conserves energy and reduces bulk, making those incredibly thin sets possible. And Internet-ready TVs are becoming more popular. The sets offer wired or wireless connections (sometimes both) to a home broadband router. That lets you watch movies delivered online from Netflix or other video services on your TV, as well as access popular Web services, such as Facebook.

Many people are buying TVs online and having them shipped to their homes. Before you agree to this, read the vendor's return policy. It should be consumer-friendly. For example, you shouldn't have to pay a restocking charge if the set arrives damaged. And when the set is delivered, the package in which it is shipped should be pristine. "If there's a hole in the box, don't accept the TV," says Gary Merson, a consumer-electronics analyst at HDGuru.com.

If you decide to buy on-site, you typically have three choices: warehouse clubs, national chains such as Best Buy, and — Merson's favorite — regional stores. What's so great about the local guys? Merson says that their salespeople often operate on commission, giving you some room to negotiate a lower price.
3-D: Maybe next year. One much-hyped feature of new high-end sets is 3-D. "I strongly advise against buying a 3-D TV unless you are very rich or must have the absolute newest gadget available," says Dan de Grandpre, editor in chief of Dealnews.com, a bargain-hunting Web site.

You won't miss much. There's little programming in the format. Plus, the technology will likely add hundreds of dollars to the cost of an HDTV — especially once you factor in the cost of 3-D glasses, which cost $150 to $300 a pair.

Although 3-D at home is a novelty now, it could be a good deal once programming becomes more common and prices drop.

Now onto crafts. I saw this and I thought Boy that’s cute… especially if your kitchen is decorated in something like Coca-Cola, etc. And it’s a recycle craft, so it ranks up there among the “preferred” group LOL! I know we used to drink tons of soda (I know… don’t say nothing LOL) and these would have been cute to make. Now that we are virtually soda free, maybe I have to recruit my friends and families to save their boxes for me!



Craft Idea of the Day: Recycled Cardboard Basket

Use your kitchen empties to make woven baskets from your recyclable cardboard. Open your box down a seam if possible. Cut the sides, flaps or tabs from the two larger main surfaces: front and back. With a ruler or other straight edge draw lines on the cardboard and cut the strips apart.

Begin weaving, using a little tape if you need to help it stay together. Fold up the edges to form the sides of the basket and secure with tape. I like using shipping tape on larger projects and regular size for smaller ones.

Finish your top edges by trimming or adding a little ribbon or paper folded neatly. The picture shows that floral tape was used to give the edges at the top a more finished look.

The frozen pie box (the one on the top) is a good size to hold paper napkins.
By Melody_yesterday from Otterville, MO

As you know, since I have been living “on the road” in a way, its quick and easy meals for this house… so I thought about it and I think this week I am gonna feature a “quick” meal each day. Sound interesting? Yea me too… this one is a quick prep, but a long cook really. It’s a slow cooker soup and its really great for you! Check this out.



V8 Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
48 ounces tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (Ex: V8)
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
3 Stalks of celery, chopped

Directions

Place ground beef in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat, and crumble. Add juice cocktail, onion soup mix, and mixed vegetables.

Cook in a Dutch oven, simmer for 30 minutes.

Move to a slow cooker, cook 1 hour on High. Then reduce heat to Low and simmer 6 to 8 hours.

Alright everyone, I am outta here… off to the hospital in my bright yellow rose scrubs! I will see you again tomorrow! HUGS!

TASTY SAVINGS TIPS

Hey there everyone. How are you doing today? It’s a fresh start for the week for me and my chaotic soap opera LOL! I’m dressed to aggravate mom this morning LOL. I told her I was gonna start coming up to the hospital in scrubs and guess what I am wearing! LMAO! No I am not a nurse (professionally LOL), no I have never been a nurse, I just make the scrubs to sell. What better way to advertise than to wear them? LMAO! Plus I tease her I am gonna be sneaking around trying to blend in. I’m really not, but it sounds funny when you say it.

To Jean- oh you don’t know how your comment made me laugh! I am operating with a “suspected” broken toe/foot… don’t curse me to break anything else! LMAO! But I appreciate it so very much that you care. Thanks girl!

Alright folks, I have to earn the title of “Frugal Mom” someway, so I was searching for food tips and look what I found! It’s an interesting read for sure!

28 Tasty Tips to Save on Food
by Stacy Johnson with MoneyTalkNews

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the average American family spent $6,443 on food. To put that number in perspective, that "average" family consists of 2.5 people (not a nice mental image) with an income of $63,563. So from these numbers we can surmise that our average family spends about 10% of their income on food.

Depending on who you choose to believe, the average American family also carries a $5,000 balance on credit cards. If they're paying 15% interest, that's more than $750/yr.

Conclusion? We could materially impact two expenses simultaneously if we could convince the average American family to eat their credit cards.

But if that doesn't sound like an appetizing solution, here's another thought: If we can use some simple tips to shave 10% off the typical annual food bill, we can use the extra $50 a month we free up to help pay those credit card balances faster. With that in mind, here's my attempt to fill your basket with more than 20 useful tips to slice and dice your grocery bill.

We'll start with seven tips from this recent TV news story. It's only 90 seconds long: check it out, then meet me on the other side for more. Here's a recap of those seven tips:

Cook From Scratch
Making meals from scratch is probably the single best way to save on food. Because the more prepared the food, the more it costs. Ironically, less expensive home-made is also normally better for you as well.

Generics
Sometimes generics aren't as good as name brands. In those situations one might choose name brands. But for things like flour, sugar, salt, bleach or virtually dozens of other items you find in the grocery store, the only discernible difference is price. Paying more for an identical product is more than extravagant; it's stupid.

Lists
Writing down what you came for…and ignoring everything not on it… will save money. It will also save time and fuel expense by preventing repeat trips to the store for things you forgot.

Stoop and Bend
Smart merchants place the most profitable items at eye level and on end-caps. Stoop, bend and look around for the best values.

Coupons
For decades, coupons have been a shoppers best friend. These days online coupons have made them easier to find and use. If you haven't used a coupon search engine yet, do so. It's a new routine. Internet first, then store.

Warehouse Stores
The savings you can find at warehouse stores are well-documented.

Salvage Grocery Stores
These are harder to find, but if you happen to live near one, the savings are huge: up to 50%.

Now let's add to that list with more tips. These are from my latest book, Life or Debt 2010.

Don't Shop Hungry
It makes you buy more.

Shop Alone
Kids, and spouses who act like kids, will often whine, cajole, or otherwise try to influence you into impulse buys. Leave 'em at home.

Always Overcook
Then freeze. That saves the time you need to be able to cook from scratch.

Substitute Cheaper Ingredients...
..For more expensive ones.

Weigh Pre-Weighed Produce
Use the handy scales in the produce department to weigh pre-weighed bags. For example, if you're buying a 10-pound bag of potatoes, weigh them. Some will be 9 and a half pounds, but some might be 10 and a half for the same price.

Repackage
Put small quantities of leftover sour cream or other perishables in smaller containers; they'll last longer. Cookies, crackers, and the like will also last longer if stored in glass jars.

Grate Savings
You pay more to have someone else grate your cheese for you. You'll also save by cutting up whole chickens, slicing your own pickles, slicing meat for cold cuts, and using a blender or rolling pin to make your own bread crumbs.

Save on Starch
Fancy boil-in-bag or flavored rices routinely cost 10 times the amount of the old-fashioned kind. All it takes to make rice is the ability to boil water! Bags of smaller potatoes are often half the cost per pound of big baking potatoes. Bake two little ones instead of one big one. Your stomach won't notice.

Save on Protein
The simple proteins found in beans are better for you and obviously much cheaper than the complex ones in meat, fish and poultry. In other words, eat less meat!

Milk Your Budget
Milk about to expire? Freeze it. You can thaw it out and use it later. Same with things that might be rotting in your vegetable drawer: onions, parsley, tomatoes, garlic. Not only will freezing keep it from rotting, it will keep it from stinking.

Butter Up the Cheese
Lightly buttering the edge of semi-hard cheese makes it less likely to form mold or dry out.

Extend Yourself
Adding cottage cheese to hamburger will enhance the flavor, add protein, and allow you to increase servings from four to six per pound.

New Life for old Bread
Leftover bread and rolls can be toasted in a toaster oven and chopped up into croutons.

Alter Your Recipes
Nobody will sue you if you alter your recipes a little. You can substitute cheaper veggies (sliced carrots) for more expensive ones (zucchini). You can also probably reduce the cheese or sugar in your baking slightly, without noticeably altering the taste. Keep in mind that recipes will often "round up" ingredients to make them easier to measure. When you read a recipe, look for ingredients that might just be included to enhance the color instead of taste, and try eliminating them. There are ways of stretching just about everything. Make your cookies and muffins a bit smaller and make more of them. Add a little more water to your concentrated juice. Add extra potatoes, beans, etc. to stretch casseroles and soups.

Make Your Own Salad Dressing
Mix 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard, 1 minced garlic clove and 1 cup of salad oil. Voila! Delicious salad dressing at a fraction of the cost.

Grow Your Own!
Next time you buy fresh garlic, save the four inner cloves. Plant them about 1/2 inch deep. In less than six months, you'll be in garlic city! There are many other herbs and vegetables that you can grow yourself, so check 'em out.

Don't Buy Water -- Ever
The fact that people pay for water is further proof that enough advertising can make people do just about anything. If you really have concerns about water quality, buy a cheap water filter and fill your own bottles.

Be a Migrant Worker
If you live near an area that grows fruit, vegetables or produce, go to a pick-it-yourself farm for bargain prices, fresh air, and a reminder of why you work in town.

Creative Leftovers
Nearly every meal ends up with a few odds and ends that aren't eaten. Keep two lidded plastic containers in your freezer. After every meal, put veggie bits in one and meat bits in another. You can then periodically sprinkle the bits of meat on your pizzas, or combine the two and make a great soup!

Keep Lettuce Longer
Wash your lettuce thoroughly, then go outside and swing it around in a pillowcase to get rid of the excess water (and to amuse your neighbors). When you're done, put it in an airtight container and it will last at least two weeks in your refrigerator.

Last but Not Least
Remember, you are what you eat. Which would you rather be: an apple or a candy bar? One of the best things about saving on food is that what's cheaper is often the same as what's better for you. Apples cost less than candy, are more filling, and are much better for you. Water is not only healthier than soda, it's nearly free (from the tap). Legumes are a cheaper source of protein than meat, and better for you as well.

Bottom line? There are lots of ways to save on food. Some will be appetizing to you, some won't. But there are few things in life tastier than paying off debt and achieving your monetary objectives. So if you harness any of these ideas, be sure to use your savings for debt destruction!

Ok so its time for crafts. One of the “Get Well Gifts” my mom has received was a gift card to Houston Garden Center. Now my crafty (but sometime tacky LMAO) mind caught myself thinking how I could have made the “presentation” prettier! LOL, isn’t that awfully tacky!? LMAO! Anyway, so that inspired today’s craft. Its also another recycle craft, which you know I am big on!



Craft Idea of the Day: Gift Card Holder

Recycle toilet paper rolls into a Gift Card holder.
Approximate Time: 20 minutes

Supplies:

empty toilet paper roll
Scrapbooking paper scraps
about 30 inches of ribbon
Modge Podge
embellishments (letter or flowers)

Instructions:

Flatten a toilet paper roll. Measure length and width. Cut 2 pieces of scrapbook paper the length and width of the flattened paper roll. Adhere the 2 pieces of paper to the toilet paper roll (one on each side, covering the roll) Adhere your ribbon to the paper roll so that it will secure the gift card at the bottom. You should able to tie a bow at the top. Embellish by adding additional papers, a greeting, flowers, etc. Insert gift card and tie a bow at the top.

By Melissa from Down South

Ok, so yesterday while at the hospital with my mother, the Dietician came to visit and was talking about proteins and snacks and sugar levels and such. I actually learned a few things I didn’t know. Food always seems to enter my life on a daily basis in some way, shape, or form. I was trying to do some research on the type of “diet” that was discussed and I came across this recipe… keep in mind I have not tried this, but it has 326 positive reviews so use it at your own discretion!



Cabbage Fat Burning Soup

Ingredients

5 carrots, chopped
3 onions, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 large head cabbage, chopped
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
2 quarts tomato juice
2 green bell peppers, diced
10 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

Directions

Place carrots, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, peppers, and celery in a large pot. Add onion soup mix, tomato juice, beef broth, and enough water to cover vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender. May be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Here are some of the reviews this recipe got:

I would recommend NOT making alterations to this soup because the purpose of the set recipe is to lose weight. I did lose weight when I made this (it was for a vacation), and it tasted great!! I checked with a local hospital, and they said this recipe is used for overweight patients to get them to lose weight rapidly to prepare for surgery. I would recommend this recipe to anyone!

I've been making this for my boyfriend for about three months now. The only thing I do different is to add ground turkey. He eats a light breakfast of whatever he wants, a light sandwich for lunch and the soup for dinner. He likes to add some heat in the form of Tabasco or different dried peppers as it heats on the stove EVERY NIGHT. He's lost over 50 pounds! I'm sick of making it, but if it's working and he's enjoying it, I'll keep a pot of it in the fridge.

Found this "diet" and decided to try it. The weight just went away! It does get a little boring... But it's tasty and painless; think about adding different spices and/or herbs to the soup to vary it... chili powder, curry, etc. Now, I *did* have to change the way I had lunch once I lost the weight... No more fast food breakfasts and lunches (except for the occasional emergency...), trying to get out and walk a bit a few times a week at lunch... But it did get the weight off and-- with my revamped lunch hour-- kept it off.

So there you have it… take it as you will. Just be careful in whatever you choose to do as far as weight loss, etc. As for me, I think stress, the lack of appetite, and running around like a crazy woman HAD to burn off a few calories… at least I hope so LOL! I’m off of here for today… gonna head straight up to the hospital after I drop off the kids and spend most of the day with mom… at least til it’s time to pick up the kids! Be safe, healthy, and happy today. HUGS!

SCATTERBRAIN

Well Good morning everyone! I hope you are doing well today. I’m doing well I guess LOL. Very tired and a little stiff, but its alright because I woke up and I’m alive! I want to thank Jean for the wonderful gift of Brandywine seeds! I plan on planting a set this evening once I get home from picking up kids, etc. Right now I have so many things to share and going on in my head, I am a real scatterbrain today! Let’s see if you can keep up LMAO!

OK, I had a lot of emails asking about the Ronald McDonald thing I mentioned yesterday. So I sat down and really thought about it. Here is what I am gonna do. First thing is I am going to contact the director at the Galveston Ronald McDonald house and ask about number of children, tenants, families, etc. Then I am going to take both kinds of fabrics.and plan on making crayon totes, burp clothes, and whatever else I can make with the McD’s fabric. I must be careful to use the fabric wisely LOL! OK, so then I am also going to go to Wal-Mart and price things like Crayola crayons, colored pencils, etc. to fill one of the totes. That times how many totes I will be making is what this “Project Ronald” will take. I know that when the school supplies go on sale, the crayons are like 20 cents per box, so if someone gifts $4 and I need to make 20 totes, then that $4 will buy ALL the crayons! I am also going to get a copy of their wishlist and buy a few things for the house, like paper goods, flour, etc. and donate that as well. I know I saw paper towels, etc. so we will see how much money we can raise for them. Cool huh? I have set up an Etsy account, but I haven’t listed anything on there yet (haven’t had the time LOL). Everything I make off selling things on Etsy from the day I start selling until Sept. 1st will be funding for this project. I am going to ask some of my “band kids” if they want to help in either distribution or something. Hopefully I can get pics of the gang outside the house… I think it would be a good experience for them all. Anyway, I will let you know when “Project Ronald” is officially started!

Ok, so I did a bunch more sewing yesterday… continuing the Fabric Challenge. I was going through the green crate and found some half finished projects that I figured I would conquer yesterday. I don’t know WHY I start something and don’t finish them like this! Its kind of annoying when I go back and see this! What WAS I thinking?? Anyway, Lookie Lookie what came off my creative little fingertips!



This was not a half started project, but it WAS an old shirt that my mother found in a box in the attic when we were cleaning it out. Jameson’s is an Irish Whiskey for those who don’t know. So anyway, since it also said St. Patrick’s Day on the shirt, I figured a green shamrock fabric was in order. Did this turn out absolutely adorable or what?! I’m gonna have a hard time selling this one. LOL I showed it to mom last night and she said I should find other “vintage” shirts and do the same thing. LOL, guess she really liked it too! I have done T-shirt bags before, but for some reason this one turned out absolutely wonderful! Hmmm... maybe its the color... who knows LOL!



This is a set of 5 baby burp clothes tied up with a “It’s a Girl” ribbon. I make these and either sell them separate, as groups like this, or even in baskets, etc. They are very soft, contoured to fit mom’s shoulder, and 100% machine washable!



These are 5 cell phone pouches that I had to complete. I only had the fabrics cut and all the stuff laying together, so I sewed them, strapped them, snapped them, and voila! 5 totally awesome cell pouches!



This is the Sunflower casserole cover made from 2 tapestry place mats. My mom likes sunflowers and when I saw these mats, I thought of her!



This is the “fat chef” tapestry casserole cover. Apparently this little dude is very popular in kitchen décor nowadays. I just bought it because I thought it was cute LOL!



And this is the snowman tapestry casserole cover. I had lots of covers ready to be sewn together in the box. There were 7 total I think. I only got to these 3, so watch for the others in the next couple of days.



These are 9 drawstring bags that I finished today. The story behind these easy little guys is simple. A couple of my DD’s friends needed something to hide their pads and other feminine stuff during a school trip. I had these little drawstring bags I made. Then I got the idea to put travel size toiletries of all kinds in them and use them for donations to places like the women’s crisis center and the men’s homeless shelter. I would use coupons and get trial size toothpastes, toothbrushes, etc. for free or for just pennies and then make up these cute bags and donate them. I normally whip out at least 100 of these per year!



Here you see the 2 insulated can wraps I made yesterday. Tinkerbell and John Deere… neither is a particular favorite of mine, but they are very popular so I continue on! LOL… Good thing there isn't too much more of these fabrics left LMAO! Kidding... don't want to offend anyone... I'm just in a playful mood today LOL!



This is a set of Autism hand towels, which could also be used for other purposes I suppose. I just liked how the green compliments the bright puzzle pieces! Lovely… and another autism craft down too!

As you can see I was a busy little bee yesterday. I didn’t get everything completed that I pulled out of the crate that was half done, but I made a super huge dent… I would say at least ½ of it. I know that I have about 3 or 4 casserole dish covers and maybe 10 other things. I don’t know why I do that… start something and not finish it, especially when there is either not much left to do or not much to do in the first place. Crazy I know, but see this Fabric Challenge is helping me get all this done and build my inventory too! Awesome huh? I think so… and I am coming up with some super cute stuff if I do say so myself LOL!

Ok so I was taking a sewing break and reading on the yahoo local news yesterday and I ran across this census article and I just had to go WTF?? I’m sorry but I need a vent moment… Read some of this bologna!

Census Bureau officials urge patience
By Ian White
The Daily News Published April 10, 2010

Anyone worried about their participation in the census can rest easy — there’s not a problem the Census Bureau has not thought out, an executive for its Houston-Galveston area office said.

“Whether you’ve received no form or more than one form, there’s no need to worry,” said Eduardo Guity, the bureau’s area media specialist, when The Daily News put to him three potential problems identified by county residents.

He called on people still awaiting a form to be patient, saying the bureau still is mailing them, but they should arrive by Monday.

The bureau will be following up at addresses from which it has received no reply by April 15, and Guity said: “We’re going to get the information come what may.”

And in answer to a common perception that mailing each form is costing the taxpayer $57, he said: “Mailing each one costs us 44 cents. The $57 figure is the cost of sending someone to an address from which no form has been received, which is why we’re encouraging everybody to mail their completed form to us as quickly as possible.”

The bureau is prepared to send an inspector to each unresponsive address up to seven times, after which neighbors will be asked about the number of residents at the errant property.

“We’re authorized by law to do that,” Guity said. “Usually at least one neighbor knows how many people live next door, so we will complete our count one way or another.”

ARE YOU SERIOUS? This man is really that ARROGANT? I mean come on, does he realize the things he just said? Someone please tell me why this man is telling people to “be patient”?? They’re the ones wanting the information… not me! Shouldn’t THEY be patient? If I want to fill it out a week after I get it, HE needs to wait, right? Then they are gonna invade your privacy and ask NEIGHBORS? OMG really… REALLY? OK I gotta change the subject now, before I blow a gasket!

Crafts… as you can see from my challenge projects, I love them! I like seeing bits and pieces of “nothing” and knowing I can put them together in some way, shape, or form, and turn them into something really cool or useful! And I like recycling too! LOL I can think of only one good thing that could come out of my pakrat/hoarding problem… I can make all kinds of neat recycled crafts! LMAO… ok seriously though, recycling- to me anyway- makes you feel good. You’re not being wasteful and you are being creative… unique even! You are going to have something that maybe nobody else has! And that’s an AWESOME feeling! The little kid in you comes out and goes “Nanner nanner boo boo” LOL! So what is the craft today? Well if you have any old vinyl LP’s laying around that you’re just not sure what to do… try this! It would make an awesome gift for yourself or a friend… especially if the friend is old enough to really APPRECIATE what a vinyl record really was/is! Records can be bought from op shops, thrift stores or garage sales. If you don't want to destroy the classics look for damaged or cracked albums.



Craft Idea of the Day: Vinyl LP Earring Holder

Materials:

Old LP Record
Heat Source
Knitting Needle or Metal Skewer
Plate Stand

Directions:

1: Take your LP Record and place some heavy cardboard behind it. This will prevent the metal skewer going through onto your work surface

2: You will need a heat source, either a lighter, candle, Gas flame or you can heat a knitting needle or metal skewer up on a electric hot plate but be very careful and wear oven gloves to prevent burns.

3: Take your Hot Needle and poke it through the record to make a whole. You obviously want to make your holes in sets of 2 for each pair of earrings.

for smaller studs you could use a heated darning needle. Place as many holes as you need around the record. if you want to hang bracelets you can make a hook using a heated nail and pushing it into the record and allowing it to cool. This will give you something to hang necklaces on etc.

When completed allow all the holes to cool completely.

Place it onto a plate stand and onto your dressing table.
You could also create a hole for a hanging ribbon at the top so that you can make a hanging loop. This will allow you to carry around the record from bedroom to bathroom or even to hang it up out of the way when not in use.

Is that not cool or what? I like the bowls you can make with old LP’s too. Nowadays, having something “old” is really the new cool. Us older “cats” LMAO just call it vintage or retro… but some of the young buzzards call us antiques or old! I prefer retro thank you! So I remember the days of playing my old vinyl records and dancing around my room and if I jumped too hard the record skipped and Rick Springfield went from singing about a girl to a dog LMAO! Hey don’t laugh, he was cute back in the day! LOL… but then again, didn’t our moms say the same about Donnie Osmond? EWWW! LMAO!

OK let’s talk food. Its always a good time for slow cookin! As you know, if it weren’t strange, I would probably marry my triple crockpot! LMAO… JUST KIDDING! Anyway, yes I love them and I love to share crock pot recipes with you. A big thing around here to make, seeing as we always have tons of people coming through here, is soup. You can make soup pretty inexpensively most time and it feeds a large crowd. So if I have 10 hungry kids running around between band practices and football games, etc. I try to make sure to have at least one pot for them to munch. Most of the time however I have numerous crock pots going, a stovetop of pots, and even sometimes things in the oven… cornbreads, rolls, etc. to go with their soups. Even the “cool mom” as they call me, has to make sure they get a good meal! So today I have another soup recipe for you to enjoy.



Albondigas Soup

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup cornmeal
6 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
1 onion, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup white rice

Directions

Mix together beef broth, salsa, 1 onion, tomatoes, dried basil, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. (If you use condensed beef broth (e.g., Campbell's), eliminate the salt in the meatballs and use 5 cans (10.5 ounces each) broth plus one quart water.) Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.

Combine ground chuck, sausage, 1 onion, egg, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, milk, fresh basil, and cornmeal, and mix well. Form into tiny, bite-size meatballs.

Add meatballs and rice to broth. Simmer, covered, very slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Alright kids, I’m outta here for today. Gonna go chill out with my mommy while the DH stays and does his housely manduties! LMAO! I will see you tomorrow for more great adventures in blogland! Peace, Love, and lots of HUGS!

STOCKPILES

Well a bright and early Hello to all my readers! How are you doing this morning? I am well thanks. Got a bit of the allergy attack going on, so aside from the super sneezes I’m doing ok LOL! I hope you all had a fantastic Easter with your friends, family, etc.

Ok so as you see, I am up super early taking DD to band sectionals at 6am YUCK! I’ve got a good hour to kill before having to take the DS14 to school right? So, I’m reading this article on “How to Save on Big Ticket items” and something I noticed in the article made me chuckle.

Keep a grocery stash. By stockpiling groceries, you'll not only be able to purchase more items when they're on sale and save them for later (just stick meat and bread in the freezer), but you'll also be able to make use of Leamy's other big idea: Skip shopping trips. She says that many people can get by on the food they already have for a week, so why not skip shopping once a month or once a quarter? If you're used to shopping very week and spending $7,500 a year, then skipping the trip once a month could save you $1,800, or 24 percent of your annual grocery bill.

I have always believed in keeping a large amount of groceries in my house and now it seems the world is catching up to me! LOL! I just find it incredibly hilarious and wonder what those people who once told me things like “You have more food than Kroger” or “You have too much food” are thinking now! LMAO! But my 2 cents here… just make sure whatever you stockpile, you can use by the expiration date! Trust me, from experience, its painful to have to throw out food you can’t use… very sad… and its wasted money! So be careful and always inventory/know what you have!

And then I run across this in the odd news! LEAD STORY: Texas' nondiscriminatory justice system: similar penalties for murder, rape and possession of small amounts of drugs; More Texas Justice: In March, juries in Smith County and Matagorda County sentenced Henry Wooten and Melvin Johnson III to 35 years and 60 years in prison, respectively, for possessing small amounts of drugs (but enough under Texas law to allow jurors to infer an intent to distribute). Wooten, 54, had 4.6 ounces of marijuana (same penalty as for 5 pounds), and Johnson had 1.3 grams of crack cocaine (about half the weight of a U.S. dime). (Wooten's prosecutor actually had asked the jury for a sentence of 99 years.) [Tyler Morning News, 3-5-10] [Houston Press, 3-11-10]

I just think its crazy. We Texans are not ogres, but we are tough on crime LOL! I guess the old litter motto rings true for crime as well… Crime has a new slogan LMAO! Don’t Mess With Texas! LMAO……. I love the odd news!



Ok, so I have been searching the internet for a fabric to make a shopping bag that I had which was destroyed. I found it online late last night for almost $9 a yard! OUCH! And the sad part is, they are the only ones who have it that I can find! UGH! So do you think I should get it? Just one yard so I can remake this bag that I loved so much? See, I have a thing for fabric and if you saw my house, you would agree. I have this disorder where I can see a fabric and see all the cute things I could make with it LMAO! People tell me all the time that I will not be able to use the stockpiles of all my fabric before I pass… but I beg to differ! And so I set out to prove them wrong! As of today I am making another goal. I have 6 stray bolts of fabric that cannot fit in my cabinet or the numerous totes FULL of fabric that I have. SO by the first day of the kids new school year (in August), I want to have sewn enough things to have used all 6 bolts PLUS both the green crate and the “cause” crate under my table! That’s a LOT of fabric! I hope you are ready to watch me do some serious crafting LOL! Stay tuned… I accomplished the storage goal a month early… let’s see what we can do with this fabric shall we?

Ok so you are thinking… what’s today’s craft right? Well… This has been a very popular item I have ever made! Young children, teens, and even adults enjoy these pillowcases! This is an easy sewing project for a beginning sewer. Parental supervision is recommended. And you don’t have to just use holiday fabrics, you can use any fabric you would like… that’s why this craft is so awesome! Because it’s so versatile!



Holiday Pillow Cases

What you'll need:

1 yard of Holiday fabric (42" to 45" wide)
Sewing machine
Matching thread (match to background color)
Measuring tape
Straight pins
Iron

How to make it:

Match selvages together, right sides together. Pin sides and one end.

Sew, using 5/8" seam allowance, one end of the pillowcase closed.

Sew up the selvage end. Be sure to backtack all beginning and ending seams.

Fold over the open end 1/4" from the top (wrong sides together). Sew along this edge.

Fold over 3" from the top (again to the wrong sides). Sew along this edge.

Turn pillowcase right side out.

Press with iron.

Tip:
Watch the sales at your local fabric store. The sales on holiday fabrics seem to appear about 3 weeks before the holiday. If you wait until after the holiday, you can get even better prices! Those after-holiday sales is when I like to rack up the large quantities of fabrics! YAY! LOL!

Ok, now let me see a show of hands on how many of you did the traditional “ham” Easter dinner? Yep, I’m one of them and I was thinking of you all when I chose to share this recipe. Perhaps you have more ham left over than you thought you would… but you don’t want to eat the same boring meal over again. SOOO…. Here is something you can make with that delicious ham



Bean & Ham Soup

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) package 15 bean mixture, soaked overnight
1 ham bone
2 1/2 cups cubed ham
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 large carrots, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 (12 fluid ounce) can low-sodium vegetable juice
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons lemon juice
7 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place the soaked beans into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the ham bone, ham, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, vegetable juice, and vegetable broth. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, bay leaves, pepper, parsley and lemon juice. Pour in enough of the chicken broth to cover the ingredients.

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 hours. Add more chicken broth as needed throughout the day. Remove the ham bone and season with salt if needed. Continue to simmer for a couple more hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Ok ladies and gents, I am gonna get off here, maybe start another rack of seeds, and then do some super sewing marathon I think. Unless of course, something more exciting comes along LOL! The sky is looking pretty nasty over my house, so it might be a “stay-inside-and-entertain-myself” kinda day… yuck LOL! Anyway, be safe in whatever you find yourself doing today and I will see you again tomorrow! HUGS!

PAW PRINTS

Hi there everybody… I missed you all yesterday. What happened? Ya missed the first comment day! Oh well, we’ll try again soon. I hope you are doing well. Me… not so much but its ok… Just the norm with the knees and whatnot. I have a few errands to run this morning but nothing major. Gonna try to keep it low key today so that I don’t hurt myself too badly.



Yesterday I put most of the dirt in the planter and began putting my plants in the box too. The kitties have decided they like to play in there and they killed one of my bell pepper plants already. There were little paw prints everywhere!! I am NOT happy with them… might have to invest in a small little fence to keep them out! Anyway, I am very proud of how it turned out! I think it looks great and I can’t wait to fill it in with plants and then watch it explode!



Then this morning when I was making me a jalapeno breakfast wrap, I was looking in the window sill at all the seed pots I have been trying to start. Normally I don’t have any luck with seeds, and seeing no sprouts has had me somewhat discouraged… at least until this morning!! The seeds for the sweet pea plants I started have began to sprout!!!! YAY!!!!!! I am so excited!! Now if I could just get my Giant Pumpkin seeds to sprout, I would be one happy woman! LOL… yes I said GIANT pumpkin! These seeds are supposed to produce pumpkins that get to a minimum of 400-500 pounds! LOL I just wanna see if I can get 1 to grow but if all 6 work… OMG that’s a lot of pumpkin LMAO! Could you see my landlord’s face if I was growing a 500 pound pumpkin? LMAO! Shoot, I’d need a picture of that!



I went to visit with my mom last night and we were looking through the Burpee catalog trying to get some ideas of what all I want to put in my planter. My mom is always full of such good ideas. So far in my planter (and answering Vincent’s question as well) I have 2 Roma tomatoes, 2 Husky Cherry tomatoes, 6 Black Beauty eggplant, 4 Sweet banana pepper, 9 broccoli, 2 yellow bell pepper, 2 red bell pepper, and 3 green bell pepper (have to get a new one courtesy of the cats!). I also have separate containers of Italian Flat parsley, cilantro, habanero peppers, cayenne peppers, strawberries, and rosemary. I am hoping to add brussel sprouts, more tomatoes, peas, jalapenos, cantaloupes, watermelons, pumpkins, okra, carrots, and some other neat stuff to my garden. I am having so much fun with this… its crazy! I want to grow everything! LOL… just to see if I can! I’m even gonna try CORN! Yes… container grown CORN! If it works, I am gonna LMAO!

Spring Break is coming soon… so is the Band trip to Florida. The DD15 will be gone from the 11th to the 15th. Her plane is leaving at 6:20am on Thursday… I’m real nervous for her! Man, I am gonna feel so lost! And then Spring Break is the whole week of the 14th (not next week but the one following). So I’m trying to brainstorm some things we can do that’s fun and easy on the wallet at the same time. If you have suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them!

Ok, well as for me, tonight and this weekend is gonna be another freezer cooking marathon as it looks pretty bare in there. I will be firing up the crocks and making soups and such, as well as making some homemade TV dinners too. I also have to make some breakfast stuff for the kids. Here is a soup recipe I’ll be making this weekend that I wanted to share with you for your collection… its hearty and healthy and I think you’ll enjoy it!



Gypsy Soup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon tamari
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic, celery and sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Season with paprika, turmeric, basil, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, and bay leaf. Stir to blend, then stir in chicken stock and tamari. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, garbanzo beans and green pepper to the soup, and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Ok kids, I think I am going to grab a glass of OJ and go sit on the patio with all my awesomeness and enjoy the morning sounds of birds and nature. I’ll talk to you tomorrow… HUGS!

BRINGING KROGER HOME!

Well a HUGE Hi there and hello to all my lovely people out there! How are you doing this crazy post-shopping morning? I am super exhausted and super sore! But super happy! And I’m up REALLY early as you can see. I had that super busy day yesterday I was telling you about. Check out my yesterday adventures in crazy town! LOL…

After I got the DS14 to school, I went over to Home Depot to pick up some lumber. Alright so I got my BOGO trash bags and BOGO plants and a few other things I found, including tape 4pks clearanced to $1. When I get to the Lumber section, the young man asked what I needed so I started telling them. He made very unprofessional comments like “Most people know what they want when they get here” and “Most people have a truck and I don’t have to cut these” etc. So I told him to step away and get me someone else. So ANOTHER good ol’ boy came over and asked what was going on… I told him and he called the other guy back over! He asked if he said those things and RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME… LIED and said NO!!!!!! Oh I was fuming! Long story short, I had to only get part of what I went for and I was so mad afterwards… well I spoke with the manager but I will be calling corporate too! That was totally uncalled for! You will NOT treat me like I know nothing just because I am a woman! I spend just as much money in there as other MEN do!! I’ve never had this problem before at this store, so it was very disheartening! Anyway, thanks to my dad for the 4x4 lumber rescue, I have all the pieces to now build my planter! Hopefully in the next day or so I will have it done and looking pretty awesome! I’m gonna stain the outside of the planter so that its pretty as well as functional! I will post picks when I am done with it. After my frustrating experience this morning, I went home to cool off for a bit.



But I was happy about the deals I found- being a member of the Garden Club, they email you coupons and I had one for B1G1 Free Glad Force Flex trash bags 100ct. box. Ok, so that one saved me $11.98. Then I had one for a B1G1F Houseplants… saved another $4.98… cool! I used that one to get 2 of these preety yellow mums. I brought them home and put them in a pot with some fresh soil and food and took it to my mom… its her Pot O’ Sunshine! I wanted to brighten her day! I also found Scotch 4pk scotch tape clearanced to $1 a pack (normally $5)! Good buys… very good buys! Was this a glimpse of things to come? YES! YES IT WAS!

Then after my period of “regrouping”, I went to the store to pick up some things for my parents. OMG peeps I HAVE to share with you all the super finds I got yesterday at my local Kroger. I swear they were clearancing the whole store! See I found these great buys when I went to the store in the morning for my mom (after my annoying Home Depot disaster!). As I was buying her foods on her list, I found tons of things! (I left the pictures full size, so if you want to enlarge it, then just click on the picture and it should open bigger so you can see it better!)



Here you see the first load I purchased when I bought my mom’s grocery list. All the bread and meats were marked down. And that’s all I got… everything was marked down! I got bread bowls for soups (which we used for supper), croissants, various loaves, cookies, a pie, brats, a Tyson Fajita kit, a long strip of trimmed brisket, etc. you name it! This order cost me $93.28… not bad really! I was quite shocked. I took the groceries out to my parents and chatted briefly for a while. Then it was off to pick up the kids!

OMG I so forgot to tell you about something my DS18 and I saw yesterday! Ok, so after school we went to pay the storage bill before going to the grocery store right? Well we come up the back road and we see this woman in the back of the Jack In the Box parking lot sitting on the edge of her car floorboard, door open, with her pants around her knees urinating! OMG are you serious?! WHY couldn’t she walk inside the stupid restaurant and use the restroom inside? My DS and I were so grossed out but laughing at the same time at her lack of class, etc. Oh if I would have had my camera with me I would have took her picture and given it to the cops and reported her! I mean, come on… what if a little kid had seen that?! Aside from that being downright tacky, god only knows if she had some kind of deadly or contagious germs she was releasing in public! YUCK! And if she is THAT worried about the cleanliness of the public bathroom… well Charmin makes a travel pack of those toilet seat covers… and I’d be happy to give her a few Charmin coupons!!!!!!!!



Ok, I got the rest of these items yesterday evening… after the kids were out of school and back home with the DH. I got tons of produce and more meat clearances! This is the produce buys… bags of precut salad, cut veggies, fruit platters, apples & cheese trays, all marked down! The mangos were on sale 10 for $10 and the onions I needed. Oh the green beans and red potatoes you ask? FRESH! Thrown some bacon and some diced onions and seasonings and OMG YUM!!!!!!! They were all on sale too!

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OK, this is more super buys on the meats. I got Chicken Leg Quarters in a 10 pound bag for 45 cents a pound, chicken drumsticks for 99c per pound, breast tenderloins, a whole chicken for 88c per pound, breakfast sausage links for $1 a pack, soup bones for 97c each, crab dip, cube steaks, organic chicken thighs, and more. The snow crab legs were NOT clearance priced, but they were a special surprise for my DD15 who absolutely LOVES steamed snow crab legs ($25 for both bags alone).



Here you see some of the non-clearance things I bought that I had coupons for and/or were on the 10 for $10 sale. Kroger had a special where you bought a combo of various Kellogg’s and Keebler stuff and you got 2 FREE gallons of milk! It also helped I had coupons for $1.00 off the cereals and crackers too huh? LOL! My mom gave me a great $2 off coupon for the cheese sticks I love so much and there is a gallon of vegetable oil hiding behind the evaporated milk too LOL!



And finally you see boxes of rice, pasta, etc. Yes Alex has a fetish with Mac & Cheese lately LOL so we got a bunch of them. Farfalle pasta and my chicken makes for yumminess! Coupons for the Rice A Roni (which was also on sale 10 for $10) and the Tony’s made them about 30 cents each!

So you see, I shopped till I literally dropped yesterday! The total for the night time shop was $190.56 plus the morning shop bringing the grand total to $283.84 and I saved $163.70 in coupons! And on top of that, I got $11 in register tape coupons off my next order (any purchase)! Add that to the $16.96 I saved in coupons at Home Depot as well as the clearance tapes… well I think I did really spiffy! Its was an AWESOME shopping day! BUT by the time I got home last night, I was super tired so the gang ate freezer meals… soups… with the promise I will make the crab tomorrow. They used the bread bowls for their soups… check these out!



The DD15 decided she wanted Chicken Fried Steak Soup… so that’s what she got- in a bread bowl! Homemade deliciousness wrapped in a piece of golden brown goodness!



The DS18 wanted the Chicken Taco soup… topped with a scoop of sour cream, some shredded cheese, and a few chipotle tortilla strips all tucked neatly in a bountiful bread bowl! I think the boy was in hog heaven!



And the DH decided he wanted Cream of Broccoli soup… and that’s what HE got LOL! I absolutely love the invention of bread bowls! Not only does it make for a pretty presentation, but you also get your bread at the same time, making this a one-dish wonder, AND it cuts down on the dishes I have to wash! YAY! That’s always a plus! Now before you go asking what DS14 and I ate… Alex devoured a link of sausage left over from last night and a box of macaroni and cheese. Once I got off my feet and relaxed… well I kinda fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Now… I have to admit, I kind of ditched the monthly menu when I found all the great buys… so I am just gonna sit and write up what I found and work that into the monthly days. PLUS I will still have the other ideas for the days left open. Whatever ideas remain will be carried over to the April menu. You saw in one of the pictures some organic boneless skinless chicken thighs, right? Well your recipe for today will utilize these for a very tropical zip sure to awaken your palate! (Yours do not “have” to be organic yadda yadda yadda LOL… just plain old chicken thighs are just as great!)



Baked Apricot Chicken

Ingredients

12 chicken thighs
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup French dressing
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl combine the jam, dressing and soup mix. Mix together.
Place chicken pieces in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour apricot mixture over chicken and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

OK my faithful followers, I’m gonna let you go for today. I’m up real early, so I am gonna go make the kids something to eat before school and get them up and ready to go. Then its off to my parents again to help clean up mom’s fine china and move it into the new kitchen and clean out a space in her garage attic for none other than guess who? ME! LOL… she’s kindly housing my Christmas decorations so that I can eliminate that bill… remember that goal I set? Yep… I gave myself a deadline. The end of April… I want it cleaned out so that I don’t have to pay that bill anymore! Come May 1st, I will NOT pay it anymore! And there is a rental bill that won’t be far behind that being done YAY! Ok kids, I’m outta here! See ya tomorrow… HUGS!