PRE-SCHOOL EXCITEMENT

Good morning and welcome to this steamy Sunday edition of the Frugal Mom! How are you this super sunny morning? I'm alright... it was my last day to sleep in and believe me, I took FULL advantage of it! Super excited about school tomorrow! YAY! Today is "put the final touches on everything" and cook and sew day! For me, that's exciting! What do you have planned for today?

I must take a moment to address my mom and her comment yesterday LOL! See, sometimes we should leave well enough alone LOL! Dormouses are best left unknown LOL! As for DD not wearing the shirt, she claimed she did not have the proper undergarments to wear with it... I think she just wanted to wear her squad shirt LOL! Its ok, there are other days to be wearing it LOL. And as for the gift recipient... I don't think she will come to see it. ain't gonna elaborate on that one, but you know what I think LOL! remember only 5 years LOL! Man am I old! As for your yarn and stuff... I'm gonna get it for you tomorrow! LOL... I will go in there since DD didn't!

Alright I found a poll online on Shine from Glamour Magazine and I wanted to bring it here, because I think its very interesting and would LOVE to hear your answers!

Are You Happier When Your Calendar Is Packed or Free? Guess Which Is Better for Health
by Sarah Jio, Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine, on Fri Aug 20, 2010 9:42am PDT

Is your life pretty jam-packed these days--running from one meeting or appointment to the next? That's me! Sometimes I long for the days when I had more time, less commitments. Have you ever wondered if being busy is bad for your health? Researchers have answers ...

On a recent evening after I put the kids to bed, I sat at my desk and looked around. All of my deadlines were complete. I'd already gone for a jog. The laundry was done, the errands were too. I'd grocery shopped, called my friends, even brushed and flossed. It was a rare moment when ... I had nothing to do. Guess what? I didn't like it!

Truth be told, I like being one step behind my to-do list. As much as I complain about my crazy schedule, I secretly love it. That's why I found the latest happiness news really interesting: Turns out, we're happier when our schedules are packed, BlissTree reports.

According to a study published in the journal Psychological Science, full schedules give people a "sense of accomplishment"--not to mention the fact that having a lot do do is stimulating, which can flood the brain with energy and endorphins. Is this busy-happy connection true in your life?

Tell me, are you super busy or less so? Are you happier when you're busy or when your calendar is free?



Isn't this such a thought provoking question? I can answer that... kind of. My calender fluctuates from busy starting in August, to rather slow in January, to stagnant during June and July! While it frustrates me to no end that I am "living on the road", etc. I like being busy. The author, I think, is right. You get a sense of accomplishment when you complete things off a list. And I like that! I live by lists, day planners, etc. I have a dry erase board on the wall by the front door so everyone knows where they and everyone else is going to be, for how long, etc. When you manage a house with 2 ADHD teens, an ADD dad, and an ADHD mom... yea writing everything down is almost a requirement! LOL! Ask my mom, when she was over here helping me declutter and I actually got something DONE... I was very happy and somewhat proud too! I also find that when I have really "nothing" to do, I find things to do to busy myself... be it cooking, sewing, cleaning, window shopping, etc. So yea, I guess I like being busy! LOL... what about you?

Ok so in the spirit of SCHOOL (oh how I love that word LOL), I wanted to bring you a craft today that makes a cute little teacher's gift and is fairly easy to make. Its a cute country decoration the kids can make and give to their favorite teacher to say "Glad to be back", "Thanks for all you do", etc. You could also make this craft using colored felt, foam, or fabric as well... all would be super adorable!



Craft Idea of the Day: Class Act Teacher's Apple

Materials:

brown grocery bag
acrylic paint in brown, barnyard red, and buttermilk
toothbrush
paintbrush
fine tip black marker
pinking shears (or other decorative scissors)
gingham material scrap
decorative buttons with classroom motif (ruler, pencil sharpener, pencil, etc.)
barnyard red medium button
cotton batting (Fiberfil)
white craft glue
craft wire
pencil
raffia

Directions:

Here's a fun and easy Teacher Appreciation gift to make with your child. Their teacher will hang this gift in their classroom with pride!

Lay brown paper bag on flat work surface. Cut out two large sections from the front and back of the bag. Stack those sections, one on top of the other, then cut out and trace around the pattern onto the bags. Cut it out with the pinking shears.

Beginning at the bottom of the apple, use tacky glue to connect the two layers at the seams, stuffing the apple as you go with cotton batting (Fiberfil). Work your way around the edges, carefully stuffing (but not too much!) until apple is completely closed.




When the glue is dry, paint the decorative edges and the stem with brown and the apple with barnyard red (see photo). When dry, dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the buttermilk paint. Test your splattering ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your apple. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your thumb across the bristles, causing the paint to splatter spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and splatter some buttermilk paint on your apple.

When the buttermilk paint is dry, use the fine tip craft pen or marker to write the words "CLASS ACT!" in the center of the apple. Using white craft glue, adhere a square of gingham fabric to the upper right hand corner of the apple. Glue a couple of decorative school themed buttons to the lower left and lower center of the apple.

Cut a piece of craft wire long enough to wrap completely around your apple. This should be enough for your hanger. Find the middle of craft wire, wrap the middle section of the wire around a pencil about 6 or 7 times. Pull the pencil out to create the curl at the top of your hanger. Curve the wire into a hanger shape and poke each end carefully through the sides of the apple as shown in the photo. Use the skinny end of a small paintbrush to curl the ends of the wire that you poked through.

Tie a piece of raffia into a bow out onto the craft wire just before where the top curls begin. Hot glue the barnyard red button to the center of the raffia bow.

Note: It is not necessary to paint the back of the apple, though you may if you like.

Primary colors: If you prefer to use primary colors for your apple, use red for the apple, leave the decorative edges plain, use yellow decorative fabric, and primary colored decorative buttons. Use a white craft pen to write "CLASS ACT!" on your apple.

Alright, now its time to wrap up a delicious week of BODACIOUS BANANAS. Now I know that my mother has been raggin on me that I am gonna put her into a coma with all the sugar in this week's recipes. And I know that I have more diabetic readers out there than just my mother, DB's GF, Dad, basically my whole family LMAO. So today, for us, and for all of you I am closing the week out with some recipes aimed specifically at Diabetics! Yes, today is all about sugar substitutes and super flavors! So even if you aren't diabetic, try them out. Lord knows we could all use a little less in our lives after grabbing that syrupy soda with that fast food combo on our lunch break, or those few sugary sweet donuts in the break room first thing in the morning... you get the idea! So try it out... Eat & Enjoy!



DIABETIC BANANA BREAD

1/4 c. shortening
Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 bananas, mashed

Cream shortening, sugar substitute and egg. Add flour, soda, salt, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Add bananas. Mix well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes in lightly sprayed or greased pans.



Diabetic Strawberry/Banana Milkshake

Yield: 2 Servings

1 c Frozen whole strawberries
1 Ripe banana
1 c Milk (skim and low fat work fine)
4 pk Sugar substitute (or more to taste)
1/2 ts Vanilla

Place all ingredients in a blender and run the blender on the highest setting. The shake will take longer in the blender than most people will expect because of the frozen strawberries. However, the frozen berries along with the banana provide the smooth thickness of this drink. Remember, this recipe is not a scientific formula. The quantities of each ingredient are very flexible, experiment until you find your favorite.



Oatmeal-Banana Muffins Recipe

Oatmeal-Banana Muffins Recipe from the diabetic recipe collection at InformationAboutDiabetes.com

Ingredients:

3 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Rolled Oats
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 tbsp Sugar
1 Egg
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 cup Lowfat Milk
1 small Banana, cubed
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds, toasted

Preparation:

Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and blend.

Spoon into oiled muffin tins or paper muffin cups.

Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 12

One Muffin = Calories: 180 Carbohydrates: 29 Protein: 5 Fat: 5
Sodium: 91 Potassium: 221 Cholesterol: 23

Source: Holiday Cookbook, American Diabetes Association, ISBN 0-13-024894-0, by Betty Wedman, M.S.,R.D.



Diabetic Banana Split Pie

Yield: 1 Pie
Ingredients

1 graham cracker crust
1 (4 oz.) pkg. sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
2 c. low-fat milk
2 bananas, sliced
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 c. Cool Whip
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Instructions

Mix pudding with milk and beat until thick, pour into crust
Put bananas over pudding
Squeeze pineapple to remove all juice
Sprinkle on top of bananas
Cover with Cool Whip, sprinkle pecans on top
Chill well

Well everybody, that's it. I am so incredibly out of here! I have tons of last minute things to do before the best day of the year (aside from Christmas) LOL gets here tomorrow! Thanks for joining me and I hope you will come back again tomorrow to see what is in store for the first day of school, a new food theme, and lots of more fun and excitement. So until tomorrow... HUGS!

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

Good early weekend morning everyone! How are you doing today? I am super excited as I am going out with my mom today! Not sure what kind of adventures she has in store for us today, but I can tell you whether we are sitting at home (either her's or mine) just talking or cooking or whatever, or we are running the roads, etc. we always have a blast! Summer has come and gone, summer band ended last night with a fantastic squad competition and super fun pool party, and I have just 48 hours til the most wonderful time of the year! WOOHOO! LOL...



Remember I said I was gonna get some sewing done yesterday? Well this was the first thing I made. Remember a few days back when I brought you the Heat Halter Top craft made from a men's shirt? Then I said I was decluttering the clothes and grabbed this old shirt of DH's to try the craft? Well I changed it up a bit and made it for my DD! I chopped off the curves at the bottom and added a hem. On that, I added some pretty white and gold lace. I added belt loops on the sides, elastic on the top, as well as a ribbon to act as a drawstring (which I inadvertantly picked a yellow with gold music notes LOL), and straps with lace edging on the top. I think it turned out super cute and am excited for Madison to wear it when we go out today!



Here you see another kitchen set. Yet one more gift done in the Christmas Countdown! Like the other one, it has a specialty cookbook designed for the recipient, 2 embellished towels, 2 pot holders, 2 oven mitts, and a grocery bag holder. It will be gathered with a sparkly black and sheer wired ribbon with silver glitter on it. I think this person will really like it! I have a little bit of the fabric left, and I am thinking of adding some small items like a cell pouch, makeup bag, etc. Or I might stick with the kitchen stuff and make a "patchwork" apron and some other stuff... not sure yet. I'm liking the apron idea, but how many people really wear aprons nowadays? I know I don't, even though I probably should at times LMAO! I dunno yet... what do you think? BTW, how is YOUR Christmas Countdown Challenge coming along?



Then we have the "Booty for Boobies" bag LMAO! It is a Denim jeans purse decorated with breast cancer fabric and colors! I thought it was so cute that I filled it with my junk and plan to use it as we go out today! Woohoo! Can you see the faces of the people wherever mom surprises me and takes us? Betcha you won't find another one like this... that's for sure!

Ok now for your frugal moment of today, I found you yet another set of tips. Its tips to assure you are being super frugal and ways to acheive it if you're not. Everybody needs a friendly reminder from time to time, and if you are new to the whole frugal thing, then its even more helpful! So check it out!

Do You Have These Frugal Living Habits?

Frugal living requires skills and ways of looking at things that help you take advantage of the money-saving opportunities in life. The truly frugal person makes these into habits. Six of these habits are outlined below. These are techniques that can be learned in a matter of a day or two, and made into new habits a few weeks. Then they will save money for you for the rest of your life.

1. Frugal living requires a knowledge of values. How can you get a great deal on a car if you don’t know what a great deal is. Get in the habit of educating yourself on prices, especially before you’re ready to buy anything that costs a lot. It takes a few hours of looking at listings for sale, for example, to know what homes are selling for in an area, but this is knowledge that can save you thousands.

2. Learn from other people. Most of us know someone who always gets the best deal on cars, boats, homes, or even groceries. Why not ask him or her how they do it! One person will tell you that the cheapest coffee in town is $3 per cup, while another will say 50 cents. Ask the latter about coffee shops. People near you are living a good life on half of what you make. Investigate that. See how others do things, and you’ll know your options.

3. Frugal living means always looking for alternatives. You might have just as much fun taking a discount trip to Mexico as you would going to Jamaica. Maybe you happen to enjoy pizza more than fine French dining. If so, why not skip the expensive restaurant and call Dominoes. This isn’t about sacrificing, but about getting even more of what you really enjoy by paying less for cheaper alternatives that work just as well.

4. Pay cash. What happens when everything you buy costs an additional 20% because of the interest you pay over the years? You can’t buy as much! Everything is cheaper when paid for in cash instead of credit. If you want that new patio set, divide the price by the number of weeks you can wait to get it. Set aside that much each week, and buy it for cash when you have the money. Not only do you save on interest, but you’ll often get a better price when you pay cash.

5. Learn to do the math. Did you really save $400 on that car if it costs you $500 more in gas each year? Did you know that some stores are cashing in on shopper’s assumptions that larger is cheaper? It’s true. That gallon of pickles might actually cost more than four quart jars. Make it a habit to do the math if you want to save money.

6. Tell people what you need. Mention it in conversations. Many people get free or cheap things, just because they talk. For example, a neighbor wanted to upgrade her living room debt, and was thrilled that I would take her three-month-old couch off her hands for $30. I sure am glad that I mentioned I was looking for one. You need to make this little trick a part of your frugal living habits.

About the Author – Steve Gillman has studied unusual ways to make money for thirty years.

Well kids, its time to get crafty! And let me tell you, this would make a super cool gift for any doctor or nurse in your life. Make a few of these in just a fractional amount of time and bunch them as a gift! So they always have one on the scope and one to wash, etc. These cool covers will increase the life of their job hardware as well as probably put smiles on the patients faces, depending on the types of fabrics you use. So you might not only be gifting to a selected person, but tons of strangers who need a smile at that time in their lives. How cool is that? Sew, scroll on down and get yourself rockin on some cool covers!



Craft Idea of the Day: Stethoscope Cover

Materials:

34 inch x 6.5 inches (86cm x 16.5 cm) of Fabric
1 inch square of Velcro or a press stud
2.5 inches (6cm)of Elastic

Directions:

Start by taking your length of fabric. Hem the 2 smaller edges for a neat finish.

Fold it in half so that it is inside out ( the print is facing inwards).

Following the steps in the image below, sew along the edge to close the strip to form a tube.

Take the elastic and sew it into place at end "A" by sewing it into place around 1/2 (1.5cm) inch from the edge.

Using glue or sewing machine secure your Velcro into place by stitching one side of the Velcro to each side of the tube. This will stop the fabric from sliding down the stethoscope.

You could also substitute the Velcro for a press stud if you wish it depends on your sewing skills as to how you wish to tackle this project.

Once you have finished turn it the right way around so that the print is facing out then thread it over your stethoscope with the elastic at the bottom and the press stud at the top.



Ok, its time for another installment of BODACIOUS BANANAS week. Today I want to talk about making "Stuffed" foods. It was once thought that foods that were stuffed were for the powerful, royal, rich, etc. (dishes like Chicken Cordon Bleu, etc. gave the distinction of upper class) (BTW Like my Louis Vitton banana LMAO!). But the truth remains that it is not known when stuffings were first used and were probably used by persons of all classes. The earliest documentary evidence is the Roman cookbook, Apicius' "De Re Coquinaria", which contains recipes for stuffed chicken, hare, pig, and dormouse. Most of the stuffings described consist of vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, and spelt (a type of wheat/grain), and frequently contain chopped liver, brains, and other organ meat. In the Middle Ages, stuffing was known as farce (from the French); the root of the word 'forcemeat'. The term 'stuffing' is first attested in 1538. After about 1880, the term stuffing was replaced by dressing in Victorian English. But today, rest easy... we are not stuffing with any of those things. We are stuffing with our weekly ingredient! You could also top this with yesterday's curry sauce recipe as well! Anyway, here's to the banana! Eat & Enjoy!



Banana Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Small Bananas; peeled and halved
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Minced garlic
1 tablespoon Minced shallots
1 Granny Smith apple; peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Curry powder
3 tablespoons Flour
2 1/2 cups Chicken broth
1/4 cup Flour for dredging
1 Egg, beaten (see note on next line)
2 tablespoons milk (beat with the egg)
1/2 cup Dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Light cream; optional
2 cups Cooked long grain rice
4 Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Directions:

Cut the chicken breast halves almost in half again and open them up like a book so you form a butterfly shape. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and, using a heavy skillet or mallet, pound them to even out their thickness and make them thin. Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast. Enclose a piece of banana by folding up the ends and sides around the banana and rolling up the chicken. Wrap each stuffed chicken piece in plastic and refrigerate for an hour or more.

In a saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the garlic and shallots for a minute or until soft. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add the apple, curry powder and flour and cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour, beaten egg and bread crumbs, making sure each chicken piece is entirely coated with bread crumbs.

Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet and sauté the chicken on all sides to brown. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, puree the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pass it through a sieve and transfer it to a small saucepan. Add the cream if you wish, and simmer, over low heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mound some cooked rice in the middle of each plate. Slice the chicken into 3/4?inch slices and set the slices around the rice. Ladle the sauce around the chicken. Garnish each plate with a sprig of cilantro.

Ok folks, time for me to get the gang dressed and head on out of here to have a day of adventures with my mommy. LOL... I am so glad you stopped by today and hope that I will see you again tomorrow for more fun, food, and creative crafting! Be safe, have fun, and stay frugal baby! Until tomorrow... HUGS!

FIBER FRIDAY

Early Friday morning everyone! How are you doing this end of the week? I'm ok... still somewhat unmotivated from yesterday's emotionally draining trauma... but fear not! I shall try to pick myself up by the boot straps and put on a happy face and dance a jig! For you see... SCHOOL STARTS MONDAY!! YAY!!!!!! Bright and early at 7am, my lovely little leeches will be gone and I will have about 7 hours of sheer silent bliss! OMG who could ask for anything more!? Must remember to set the alarm with that lovely Andy Williams song... The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! LMAO! (I really do love my kids but sometimes, you just need a break ya know? Makes you appreciate them more LMAO!)

Ok, the $5 Dinner mom was offering a Kellogg's fiber gift package yesterday as a contest and I entered of course... I like free stuff LOL. And then this morning I find an article about things you can do to add fiber to your diet. Guess fiber focus is a big deal lately. So I thought I would bring you this article about a few things you can do to add fiber to your life.



Start Roughing It
By Matthew Kadey, R.D., Prevention
Tue, Jul 22, 0010

It's no secret that fiber is essential, possibly reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as helping us keep our appetites—and waistlines—in check. The mystery seems to be how to get enough of it. Most women consume only half the recommended 21 to 25 g daily. Try these six options for something jazzier than brown rice.

SPIKE SMOOTHIES WITH CHOCOLATE
A tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder has 2 g of fiber, plus it contains less saturated fat than dark chocolate bars and none of the added sugars.

TOSS MUSHROOMS INTO SOUP
Rehydrate dried shiitakes in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then chop and add to your favorite soup for 3 g of fiber per ounce, plus lentinan, a compound that may have anticancer properties.

ADD EDAMAME TO STIR-FRIES
Brimming with folate, a B vitamin that may protect women from pancreatic cancer, and 4 g of fiber per ½ cup, boiled soybeans complement any Asian flavor.

MIX OATS INTO MEAT LOAF
Instead of nutritionally inferior bread crumbs, use 2/3 cup rolled oats per pound of meat as a binding agent. In addition to 5.5 g of fiber, they contain magnesium, a mineral that may slash diabetes risk.

MAKE PUMPKIN-PIE OATMEAL
Combine 1/3 cup canned pumpkin, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and spices of your choice, like cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin adds nearly 2.5 g of fiber and loads of immunity-boosting vitamin A.

SPRINKLE WHEAT GERM INTO PANCAKES
Rich in selenium, which could cut skin cancer incidence by about 60%, ½ cup of wheat germ packs 4 g of fiber. Add it to any batter recipe.

Alright, it's time to talk crafts. Kalleen over at another blogspot page called At Second Street has a great tutorial which I am bringing you today! Its recycling at its finest... clothing tags! Yes, this creative mom of 4 made this super spiffy wallet out of old clothing tags and when I saw it I was just like "Oh that is SO gonna be on the site"! I think this would make a great gift for yourself or anyone you know! Hop on over for great step by step instructionals and photos!



Craft Idea of the Day: Clothing Tag Wallet

What you need:

-4 pieces of 8-1/2 x 11 handmade paper
(the handmade paper looks like paper fiber pressed together, it's stronger and has more flexibility than card stock).
-lots of clothing tags in preferred colors ( I used about 40, but it will vary depending on their size)
- colored ribbon- optional (I didn't have enough tags and wanted to add more green so I used three strips of green ribbon)
-fray check
-a glue stick
-thread (I used 4 different shades)
-a piece of poster board
- a Dritz snap and pliers
- one button



Well here it is... Friday... day 5 of BODACIOUS BANANAS week. Are you going bonkers for bananas yet? LOL I know my mom is! My intent is not to frustrate but educate LOL. I always like showing you how versatile each ingredient can be with just a few ingredients and a lot of imagination! If you are like most people, you probably do not give a second thought to the sweet banana, one of the few fruits available year-round. If you're ever stranded on a desert island, just hope and pray it contains a banana tree bearing the world's most perfect fruit. Although it has a long pedigree, the sweet yellow banana is a mutant strain which developed from original red and green cooking bananas most often called plantains. Although primarily eaten out of hand or in desserts, sweet bananas can also be used as an accent in savory dishes.

Some banana trees continue producing up to one hundred years, although most banana plantations renew their stock every ten to twenty-five years. The tree itself also has uses. The leaves are used as wrappers to steam foods in Latin, Caribbean, and Asian cultures. The banana flower is also edible, but if you eat the flower, you obviously won't get any fruit. The banana is a distant cousin to ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, and is botanically classified as a berry. There are over four hundred varieties of bananas with the yellow Cavendish being the most favored in America.

Americans consume an annual average of twenty-five pounds of bananas per person. Bananas are the world's best-selling fruit, outranking the apple and orange. So to tempt your taste buds today, as I bring a couple of "ethnically enhancing" recipes to the table for you. Eat & Enjoy!



Curried Banana Sauce
(This goes well over fish, chicken, or even rice!)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 small ripe bananas, quartered
1 shallot, quartered
1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia®)
1 3/4 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 pinch salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bananas, shallot, garlic, and onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken chicken broth and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the curry mixture, rice vinegar, honey, and salt into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the curry moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the curry right in the cooking pot.



Teriyaki Pork Chops with Grilled Bananas

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless pork chops (3 to 4)
2 large firm DOLE® Bananas, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups hot cooked rice
2 tablespoons sliced DOLE Green Onion
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed

Directions

Combine sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar and oil in small bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons sherry mixture and brush on pork chops and bananas.

Grill pork 8 to 10 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Grill bananas 2 to 3 minutes on each side until heated through. Cut each into 1-inch pieces.

Combine remaining sherry mixture and cornstarch in small saucepan; cook, stirring until thickened.

Arrange pork and bananas over rice on serving plate; drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seed.

Well folks, that's all for today. I think I am gonna go sit and stitch my little fingers nuts today. And maybe on breaks sit and organize some things from the paperwork in my living room. I am so glad you stopped by to see me this morning and hope you will take a moment to come back by tomorrow for more fun and fabulous times here on The Frugal Mom! Until tomorrow friends... HUGS!

HAPPY ROOT BEER FLOAT DAY

Good morning everyone and welcome to The Frugal Mom! I'm your host, Renee, and I am elated you could join us this morning! So how are you my friend? I'm doing good... excited to wake up and breathe in a new day! But I am very sad this morning. My little Rescue bunny has passed away during the night. My mom consoled me this morning and she made alot of valid points that are helping me cope. I gave the bunny probably more time than she would have had if I had left her with that bad lady, and I raised as a housepet which most rabbits are outside stuck in a outside cage. I seriously think Rescue thought she was a cat LOL! She snuggled up to you like a cat, she ran around the house and played like a cat, and she even ate constantly... just like my cats LOL! So I can rest well knowing I gave her a good life. DH buried her by my window this morning so she can be close to momma. R.I.P. Rescue... you will be missed.



Now as you see on the title, today is National Root Beer Float Day! YUM! I remember when mom would make us big old glasses of this frothy fave when we were younger and boy was it good. The fizzles in your mouth from the chemical reaction of the ice cream and the soda were just OMG-fun! The ice cream soda, float (United Kingdom, Canada, United States and East Asia), spider (Australia and New Zealand), brown cow (Hong Kong) or black cow (Brazil) is a beverage that consists of one or more scoops of ice cream in either a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water. In the United Kingdom cream soda was named that as it was traditionally served with a dollop of ice cream floating in it making ice cream soda. The tiny bubbles of air present in the soda cause the ice cream to float and are nucleation sites for the formation of large bubbles of carbon dioxide. This gives the beverage a "foamy head" similar to a beer head. Also known as a "black cow"or "brown cow", the root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer, but can also be made with other flavors.

In the United States and Canada, the chain A&W Restaurants are well known for their root beer floats. The definition of a black cow varies by region. For instance in some localities, a "root beer float" has strictly vanilla ice cream; a float made with root beer and chocolate ice cream is a "chocolate cow" or a "brown cow." In some places a "brown cow" was made with cola instead of root beer.

In 2008, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group introduced its Float beverage line. This includes A&W Root Beer, A&W Cream Soda and Sunkist flavors which attempt to simulate the taste of their respective ice cream float flavors in a creamy, bottled drink.

The origin of the name "black cow" has always been of interest to food and beverage experts and allegedly dates to August 1893 in Cripple Creek, Colorado. The only source of this story is the great-grand-nephew of Frank J. Wisner, who has popularized it through advertising on his soft drink products and website. Wisner, owner of the Cripple Creek Cow Mountain Gold Mining Company, had been producing a line of soda waters for the citizens of the then-booming Cripple Creek gold mining district. He had been trying to create a special drink for the children of Cripple Creek and came up with an idea while staring out at his properties on Cow Mountain on a moonlit night. The full moon's glow on the snow capped Cow Mountain reminded him of a dollop of vanilla ice cream floating on top of his blackened Cow Mountain. As he told the story later, he was inspired by this view to hurry back to his bar and add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to the one soda water he produced that the children of Cripple Creek seemed to like best - Myers Avenue Red root beer - and served it the very next day. The drink was an instant hit. Originally named "Black Cow Mountain", the local children shortened this to "black cow". Wisner was known to say many times in his later years that if he had a nickel for every time someone ordered a black cow, he'd have been a rich man.

Alright, time to be frugal! I found this article and thought to myself "OMG are people really paying for some of these things?" But on the other hand, there are 2 things I am quite guilty of on this list as well... books and pets LOL and I'm NOT willing to change it! LOL! However, many people DO pay for most or all of these and I wanted to show you the waste and lack of frugality in it... so here ya go!

15 Things You Shouldn't Be Paying For
by Phil Taylor

So much money and energy is wasted on things we could get for free. If you're into new, shiny things and collecting stuff, this is not for you. But if you want less clutter in your life and want to keep more of your money, then check out these 15 things you shouldn't be paying for.

Basic Computer Software -- Thinking of purchasing a new computer? Think twice before you fork over the funds for a bunch of extra software. There are some great alternatives to the name brand software programs. The most notable is OpenOffice, the open-source alternative to those other guys. It's completely free and files can be exported in compatible formats.

Your Credit Report -- You don't have to pay for your credit report. You could sign up for one of the free credit monitoring services online to get a quick look at your credit report. You just have to remember to cancel the service before the end of the free trial. Or you could do one better and visit www.annualcreditreport.com, the only truly free place to see all three of your credit reports for free once a year.

Cell Phone -- The service plan may be expensive, but the phone itself doesn't have to cost a thing. Most major carriers will give you a free phone, even a free smart phone, with a two-year contract.

Books -- There's a cool place in your town that's renting out books for free: the library. Remember that place? Stop by and put your favorite book on reserve. And if you don't feel like getting out, visit www.paperbackswap.com and find your books there (small shipping fees apply).

Water -- Besides the monthly utility bill, there's no reason to shell out $1 for every bottle of water you drink. Bottled water is so last decade anyway. We're over it, and into tap, filters, and reusable water bottles. It's cheaper for you and better for the environment.

Credit Card -- With as many credit cards as there are available on the market today, it's easy to avoid a credit card with an annual fee. Unless you're dead set on a particular perk that a fee card brings, skip the annual fee card and pocket that money yourself.

Debt Reduction Help -- Speaking of credit cards, if you're in over your head with credit card help, there are many free sources you can turn to for help with your debt. No one is going to be able to magically wipe away your debts, but there is help out there that will set you up on a debt reduction plan you can handle. Start with a visit to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Basic Tax Preparation -- If your tax situation isn't that complicated, then you should probably be preparing your own tax return using one of the many free online services. It's now common for e-filing to be free as well with many services. You won't even need a stamp.

The News -- Leave it to a blogger to try and kill off traditional print. I'm not anti-newspaper. I just don't find them practical anymore. Skip the daily .50 cents and get your news online. And for you dedicated coupon clippers, you can get most of your Sunday coupons online now too.

Budgeting Tools -- There are many budgeting tools (both online and desktop) that offer up the service for free. Don't ask me how they do this, but who cares. If you're looking to reign in some of your spending, the good news is you can do it for free.

Pets -- This is a controversial one, I know. But there are likely many pets down at your local animal shelter that could use just as much love as the pure-bred types. There may be a small fee due to the shelter for shots and basic care, but you'll have your pet home without paying a mini-fortune.

Shipping -- If you like to buy online, you probably use coupons to get a percentage off of your purchase. Take your skills to the next level and look for coupons or promotion codes that offer free shipping. If in doubt, visit a site like www.freeshipping.org.

Checking Account -- Isn't it nice when a bank takes your money, lends it out to earn money, and then has the audacity to charge you for the service? What a joke. Checking should be free. If yours isn't free then move to one of the many banks that offers a checking account for free. And the same can be said for ATM fees, teller fees, and checks.

DVD Rentals -- Did you know that you can rent DVDs from RedBox locations for $1 a night? And better yet, if you use one of the coupon codes from www.insideredbox.com you can avoid the $1 charge. Free DVD rentals! Most libraries now have free DVD rental as well.

Exercise -- Skip the expensive gym memberships. Visit your local park for a walk or run. Do basic push-up and sit-up programs in your living room. Rent a workout DVD from the library. There are many free workout programs you can download online as well.



And then of course, yesterday was National Cupcake Day, so ya know the Frugal Mom was going all out and celebrating with a kitchen full of cool and crazy creations! This was the first one... instead of the layered clown, I made a hippie cake! French Vanilla cake with a Jamaican Rum frosting. It was really good LOL! I layered the cake colors like you do with the clown cake, but then I took a tooth pick and swirled them around in the cup to make the Tie Dye effect! Super trippy!



Then I made these super yummy BANANA cakes LOL! I made the cake batter and diced up some fresh banana to stir into the cakes. Then they were cooked to a golden brown and iced with 2 different flavors. The first was just a milk chocolate YUM! Then the second set, I cored and filled with molten caramel sauce and iced with a rich caramel icing. I had originally planned on usingi some caramel squares melted into this creation somehow, but it seems the Dh and kids must have found my candies! LOL!



Last but not least... the Butterscotch overload! Now normally I have issues with little butterscotch candies thanks to mom when I was 5 at Walgreens LOL, but today it called for them! I made a butterscotch flavored cake, cored and with a butterscotch filling, cream cheese icing, and a butterscotch syrup drizzle and disc on top for garnish. So if you don't like butterscotch, DON'T eat these! When I was trying to ice these, it was extremely hot in the kitchen (mid-day, oven on, 100 degrees outside, yea LOL) so my icing didn't want to set, but a few minutes in the fridge and we were good to go! Don't they all look just so yummy?!



Ok now for today's craft idea, I sought out something to make an item I saw at the mall this past weekend when the family went for a day out. They were pillow animals. Now these things have been around forever and even my kids used to have some. Well I thought how that would be a cool gift for a small kid, and seeing as some of my readers HAVE small kids, it would make a fairly inexpensive and cute Christmas gift! So I looked and I found one! Elizabeth over at Twelve Crafts Til Christmas blog made an amazing tutorial to make your own pillow buddy! Ya gotta click on over on the link because its a LONG tutorial and it has lots of great pictures too!



Craft Idea of the Day: Pillow Buddies

What you need for the body:

1 - 20 x 20 inch piece of microfleece, regular fleece or chenille
1 - 20 x 20 inch piece of microfleece, regular fleece or chenille with corners cut out in an arch shape
4 - arch-shaped pieces of contrasting fabric (These arches should be slightly bigger than the arches that were cut from the body piece.)
2 - 4 x 10 inch pieces of microfleece, regular fleece or chenille for the strap
2 - 3 inch pieces of hook and loop (Velcro)
extra microfleece, regular fleece or chenille for the tail
Stuffing

So tell me, are you enjoying this week's secret ingredient? BODACIOUS BANANA week is providing us with lots of potassium so our legs don't cramp up while dancing a jig cause we're excited over the great recipes LMAO! And today is no exception! Today I am gonna grill em! Yes... you heard me... GRILL them! WHAT? You've never had a grilled banana? OMG! Well check out this recipe for some Sizzlin' Summer Scrumptiousness!



Island Kabobs with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Ingredients

2 ripe, firm DOLE® Bananas, peeled, each cut into 6 pieces
1 ripe DOLE Banana, peeled and diced
12 chunks DOLE Tropical Gold® Pineapple
16 extra large or jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 green or red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 DOLE Green Onion, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper

Directions

Thread banana pieces, pineapple, shrimp and bell pepper pieces equally onto skewers.
Whisk together lime juice, oil and allspice in small bowl. Brush 2 tablespoons over kabobs.

Combine remaining marinade with diced banana, mango, mint, green onion and jalapeño pepper; place in a serving dish.

Grill kabobs over medium high heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or until the shrimp are opaque.

Arrange the kabobs on top of the salsa.

Ok kids, got a couple of things to do this morning, including a phone interview, so I better get off here and get cracking! Then its hopefully some crazy sewing day. I had fun with you this morning and hope you will visit again tomorrow too! Be safe, have fun, and see you then... HUGS!

HAPPY NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY

Welcome folks to the wacky Wednesday edition of The Frugal Mom! So how are you doing this morning? I'm good... thanks for asking! Sorry I am a bit tardy this morning. For once, I got to sleep in so I took full advantage of it LMAO! Not to mention I had actually been up at 4:30am and went back to sleep LOL! I want to wish everyone a HAPPY NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY and I will be celebrating by making the French Vanilla Rainbow Clown Cakes you see here! And probably a few more fun flavors! LOL! I have so many exciting things to share with you, so hurry and go refresh that cup of coffee and have a seat. Hold on for a wild ride! LOL!

Ok folks, first off, I found out about a crafting contest hosted by JoAnn's and am OH SO EXCITED to bring you! Especially since it's for charity!!! It's JoAnn's Craft For a Cause contest and not only couldl you win a $1500 gift card for JoAnn's, but your favorite charity could win big too... up to $50,000!! I will definitely be entering and I think you should too! Check it out here on the JoAnn's site for the rules and regulations!

"Use your creativity, skills & passion to help your favorite worthwhile cause and enter to win prizes yourself!

Contest Dates:

· Crafting contest begins August 15, 2010 and ends October 30, 2010

· Charity voting ends December 4, 2010

Crafters — Enter to Win $1,500 Gift Card

· Using materials purchased from Jo-Ann make and donate useful crafted items to your favorite charitable organization. Experience the satisfaction of giving!

· Submit photo of each donation - crafted items will be judged for prizes!

· The makers of the top five* crafted items will each win a $1,500 Jo-Ann gift card.

*Judged on creativity, quality & functionality for the charitable organization receiving item. Open to legal U.S. residents age 14 or older. Void in Maryland & Vermont.

Jo-Ann Donates a Total of $90,000 to Three Causes

· The three charitable organizations receiving the most donated items become Craft for a Cause finalists.

· Then you can join other crafters and go online to vote for your favorite among these three."



OMG, OMG, OMG! Then I saw an article on Yahoo that I want to tell you all about! No, its not a frugal tip... well it could be though! Its about a young lady named Marisa Lynch who was in a rough spot in her life and watched the movie Julie & Julia (excellent movie BTW! Saw it in the theater with my mommy YAY!) and was inspired to do something similar with her life. She chose clothing to blog about and make a 365 challenge out of! BUT here is the twist. All the outfits cost no more than $1 a day and she recycled by finding things at thrift stores! OMG isn't that great! Read the whole write up about her on the article called Turn ugly dresses into nice ones for $1 on Yahoo. Or better yet, hop on over to her actual Blog and check out some of her creative creations! Her blog is called New Dress A Day and its really awesome to read through. Some of the things she's found I particularly didn't care for, but some are pretty darn cute! Unfortunately I am nowhere near seeing all the posts as I just found this yesterday LOL!



Ok, now I have to show you this... remember all those stockings I told you I was going to make? Well I finally finished the last one and it ended up being motorcycles instead of Classic cars. I showed the recipient (my DB if you haven't guessed already LOL) and he loves it! So... I had to show you! It was the last of the 4 that I had listed to make, so that mini project is complete! YAY! By Monday, I'm going to have LOTS of surprises for you! Monday starts school! YAY!!!



Now my mom & dad came over yesterday to help me with some things around the house. Dad changed out all my light bulbs, fixed my fan, put up these awesome shelves in my master bath, etc. Mom helped me declutter and organize some problem spots that made me just want to scream! Don't I have like the best parents in the world? After they left, I sat and organized the 2 gigantic boxes of things that were to fill the shelves... keeping my mom's voice in my head saying "one piece at a time". Needless to say, the boxes are gone, lots of things were thrown out, and here is what is left! Very neat and tidy if I do say so myself!



And then there is my cat... my Rebel... my special little baby! I rescued him years ago when I lived in some apartments across town. Kids in the parking lot were beating him, hanging him in a tree, and trying to light him on fire. (Believe me, those kids didn't like it when I took them by the collar of their shirt to their parents and threatened them with legal action but I didn't care!) I nursed him back to health and then the DH fell on him, squishing him... I swore he was gonna die BUT I nursed him back AGAIN! He has some problems now... some due to those kids and some due to Frank LOL, but all in all he is pretty healthy. And FAT! LOL! Anyway, I thought this was the cutest thing and I had to take a picture! I guess since I am always calling him my baby, he was gonna get in the baby's walker and ACT like a baby LMAO! Regardless, I think its too cute and I wanted to share!

Now its time to get crafty! I used to get my DS14 these wooden puzzles to teach him alphabets and such. They were special wooden puzzles aimed at special needs kids and he used to have bunches of them. When I ran across this craft on another blogspot site, I was like "Wow I would have loved to have those back then!" LOL. But I want to bring it to you today because I know that those wooden puzzles have become very popular with kids of all ages and types. Thanks to the fellow blogger/crafter Maria for a great project! So here ya go... your



Craft Idea of the Day: The Puzzle Bag

Materials:

puzzle
fabric
a zipper
scissors
a sewing machine with thread
optional ribbon for a handle.



Well here we are again... time for the most tasty part of your visit! Our BODACIOUS BANANA recipes today are gonna be sweet... cause we are cooking some classics! These are recipes our mothers and grandmothers may have made for us when we were younger. Or maybe they symbolize the South for you... ya never know as it means all kinds of things to different people. Bananas were first found in the region of Malaysia. With the help of curious visitors, bananas found their way to India, Buddhist Pali writings dating back to the 6th century B.C. support this fact. It was Alexander the Great who brought the banana back with him to the western world. Bananas were grown in the southern region of China but only became popular with the masses around the 20th century. Americans first tasted the banana almost three hundred and fifty years later. At that time, they were wrapped in tin foil and sold for 10 cents each at the celebration held in Pennsylvania in 1876, to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Instructions on how to eat the banana also appeared in the Domestic Cyclopaedia of Practical Information.

Banana Nutrition Facts

A banana contains Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber.

Bananas do not contain sodium, fat or cholesterol.

The Vitamin C, which is found in bananas, helps the body to defend and heal against infections. This vitamin also proves valuable in the synthesis of the connective tissue, absorption of iron and the formation of blood.

Not only are bananas rich in vitamin C, they also contain potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps in the building of muscles and protein synthesis. This is done as potassium stimulates nerve impulses for muscle contraction.

A diet rich in potassium is said to reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. As bananas are free from sodium and very rich in potassium, they can be included in the diet to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Bananas contain three natural sugars, sucrose, fructose and glucose along with fiber. A banana thus gives an instant and substantial boost of energy.

A banana contains Vitamin B6, which helps in the synthesis of antibodies in the immune system apart from red blood formation, protein metabolism and functioning of the central nervous system.

No other fruit contain more digestible carbohydrates than bananas. This is advantageous because, the body burns off calories from carbohydrate more easily and quickly than calories from fat or protein.

Interesting Facts About Bananas

The word banana is derived from the Arab word "banan," which means finger.

Bananas are harvested green because they keep ripening even after they are picked.

Unlike most other fruits that grow on trees, bananas grow on plants.

An average American is said to consume more than 28 pounds of bananas every year.

Brisbane holds the world record for the longest banana split, which measured 7.3 kilometers.

3 medium bananas would weigh about a pound.

Despite that fact that bananas love a tropical climate, they are grown in Iceland too, by heating the soil with geysers.

So now that you have had your banana education for today, let's dig in to a few old time banana classics! Eat & Enjoy!



Old Fashion Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 medium, ripe DOLE® Bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped almonds

Directions

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Beat in bananas, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Add in flour mixture; beat until just blended. Stir in nuts.

Pour into 9 x 5-inch baking pan sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.

Bake at 350°F., 55 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes.



Old Fashioned Southern Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup self-rising flour
2 cups milk, low fat or whole
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
vanilla wafer cookies
3 bananas, ripe but firm
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation:

Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and the self-rising flour in a bowl.
Slowly stir in milk. Put mixture in top of double boiler over simmering water and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Beat egg yolks then briskly stir a small amount of the hot mixture (about 1/2 cup) into them. Add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in top of double boiler and stir in butter and vanilla. Cook until mixture thickens again.

Place a layer of vanilla wafers in an 11x7-inch baking dish (or other shape 2-quart shallow baking dish). Add half of the sliced bananas. Pour half of pudding mixture over banana layer.

Repeat layers, ending with remaining pudding. In a mixing bowl beat egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar.

Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pudding. Bake at 350° until browned completely. Remove from oven. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 6 to 8.



OLD FASHIONED BANANA CREAM PIE

1 pie crust (9 inch), baked
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 2/3 cups water
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium bananas
lemon juice
whipped cream

In heavy saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Cool slightly. Slice 2 bananas; dip in lemon juice and drain. Arrange on bottom of prepared crust. Pour filling over bananas; cover. Chill 4 hours or until set.

Spread top with whipped cream. Slice remaining banana; dip in lemon juice, drain and garnish top of pie. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serving Size: 6



OLD FASHIONED BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly. Stir in bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon peel. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in walnuts. Fill muffin pan cups 2/3 full.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Remove muffins from pan.

Well that's all for me folks! I better get off here and go work on some more decluttering and cleaning and crafting and such. I Also plan on making lots of more cupcakes to celebrate this day of days! YUM! SO have an awesome day, make some delish cupcakes, and I will see you tomorrow! HUGS!

THRIFT STORE TUESDAY

Well good morning everyone! How are you doing this terrific Tuesday? I'm good, thanks. I want to wish everyone a HAPPY NATIONAL THRIFT STORE DAY!! LOL yes you read that right. Today is a day to say thanks to all those bountiful thrift stores which hold treasures galore! So I encourage you all to drop by at least one thrift store and lend them a helping hand by looking around and finding something to help them... even if its just a shirt! LOL.

Yes... I found you yet another article claiming to help with frugality and so I am bringing it to you. Who couldn't use a spare $500? I know I sure could! Now there are a couple I am not agreeing with or doing (like the section about pets... totally kiss my butt there authors I WILL have my animals!) but some could be rather useful. So check them out and you be the judge!

10 easy ways to save $500 or more

From installing a TV antenna to adjusting the thermostat, you'll barely feel the pinch with these smart tips for economizing.

By Bankrate.com

Raises are hard to come by at many jobs, so don't wait for the boss to be struck by the sudden realization that you're valuable. Give yourself a raise by spending less of your hard-earned cash.

Following any one of these tips can save you as much as $500 per year. Some of them can save you more. If you do all 10, you'll save at least $5,000 a year. That's a heck of a lot more than the measly 3 percent increase that your employer is likely to hand out. And the best part about it is that you don't have to smile and say "thank you."

Drive less
With gas hovering around $4 per gallon, you don't have to cut back on much mileage to save $500 in a year. You'll save that much in gas alone if you drive a car that gets 15 miles per gallon just 36 fewer miles per week. When you divide it by 50 weeks, 1,872 miles in a year isn't much. If you have a 40-mile round-trip commute, persuading the boss to allow telecommuting one day a week, or squeezing 40 hours of work into four days, will definitely put you ahead about $500 per year.

If that doesn't work for you, there are other options. The cutback doesn't have to be extreme. Trimming a couple of unnecessary short hops out of your routine is enough to hit the target. Encouraging the kids to take the school bus instead of schlepping them in the car, or consolidating three trips to the grocery store into one weekly excursion may do the trick. Vacationing at the lake instead of driving the family to Florida will certainly hit the goal.

Bring your own stimulant
Stop buying coffee at the chichi coffee joint down the street from work. Either bringing coffee from home in a thermos or brewing it in the break room will actually improve the quality of your morning shot of energy, as well as cut its cost dramatically. You can get 40 cups of coffee from a pound of beans. Even the gourmet ones can be purchased for $4 per pound. If you're spending $2 per day on coffee -- easy to do in most workplaces -- you'll go from spending $500 a year to about $25 by making your own.

Save even more by taking cans of soda or bottled water to work instead of buying them out of the vending machine. Bottled water sells for around 30 cents a bottle at a big-box grocery stores. Compare that to the 75 cents or more that you'll spend at the machine, and it's a no-brainer. You can go even further by cleaning your small plastic water bottles and replenishing them with drinking water from a gallon jug. (It's an environmentally friendly move, too.)

Conserve energy
Dad was right. Turn off the TV when you leave the room. Using less energy is a painless way to save. Heat and air conditioning are the largest home-energy hogs. The U.S. Department of Energy points out that during each 24-hour period, you will save about 3 percent on your energy bill for every 1 degree you lower the thermostat setting (or, conversely, raise it when air conditioning is the big cost).

For example, let's say you normally keep your thermostat set at 73 degrees in summer. If you raise it to 76 degrees, you will save about 9 percent (3 degrees times 3 percent) or 9 cents for every dollar you spend on air conditioning costs. If you're spending $2,000 per year, that small change will save you $180. Buy a programmable thermostat and turn the system up 10 degrees during the day when no one's home and you'll save much more.

Here are some other quick fixes for savings that add up to an additional $400: Switch to U.S. Energy Star-approved light bulbs and save $60 a year. Running a 32-inch TV four hours a day costs $3 per month, but many families use the TV for background noise, letting it play 24/7. You can save more than $200 a year just by turning off the TV when nobody's watching it. Washing clothes in cold water is good for another $60 a year and powering down your computer at night can save $70.

Dig gardening
Gardening doesn't just burn a lot of calories; a nice yard also adds value to the house. If you do it all yourself, it's pure profit. Assuming a modest savings of $300 per summer for mowing your own grass and another $200 for such related expenses as applying your own weed killer and fertilizer, a $500 savings is easily attained.
Bonus idea: Assign jobs like shoveling, raking and car washing to Junior, who's always good for hitting you up for money. While you might shell out $200 for him to do these chores, it's a savings, considering that you were going to give him the money whether he worked for it or not.

Go small or stay pet-free
Fido and Tabby are lovable, but they can cost a bundle. If you're considering a pet, keep the cost of their upkeep in mind. Pawprints and Purrs, an animal adoption agency based in Keithville, La., tells its clients to expect to pay these annual costs of pet ownership: cat, $640; small dog, $780; medium dog, $1,115; large dog, $1,500. Obviously, smaller is cheaper. The difference between a large dog and a small one is $720 per year -- that's a lot of kibble.

Don't flush money down the commode
No-name-brand toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, paper cups, plastic wrap, plastic bags, etc., are all available at half the price of similar name-brand products when you buy them in bulk.

You don't even have to wait for a sale. Such stores as Wal-Mart, Kmart, Costco and Sam's Club offer these items all the time at bulk rates.

For instance, you can buy 15,000 sheets of toilet paper for about $13, compared to the 4,224 sheets of the "squeezably soft" variety that routinely sells for $9 in a 12-pack. Big-name plastic wrap can be 10 times more expensive than the big-box variety.

Of course, bulk buying requires having some cash on hand, transportation to carry large quantities and big enough storage space for these items. If you can manage those basic requirements, buying big can be a tremendous deal and easily cut costs by $500 per year. But remember, putting these purchases on your credit card defeats the purpose.

Limit media
A cost that didn't exist at all for most people a decade ago has morphed into a major expense. The average monthly cable bill, excluding Internet access and other extras, now runs about $52, according to SNL Kagan Research, which monitors the broadcasting industry. Look hard at what you are spending for television, phone and Internet. If you are like the rest of us, cutting $50 a month out of this category is a slam dunk.

Who watches 300 channels anyway? The easiest way to cut costs: Just take a deep breath and cancel everything but the basic plan. Most cable companies have a very limited plan for $10 or $15 per month that offers local channels and a few other networks. If you have satellite, the basic plan, including local channels, will cost you about $30. If you want to watch a movie or an HBO series now and then, rent it -- you'll still come out way ahead.

If you have greater than average do-it-yourself skills, consider installing an antenna and capturing high-definition television signals over the air. An antenna isn't your father's rabbit ears -- you get no snow and reception that's probably clearer than your cable or satellite provides. And best of all, it's free. A page on the National Association of Broadcasters' Web site lists the stations you can expect to receive. In most cities, that's all the networks plus PBS. In rural areas, you might get less, but that's changing quickly. CNET offers a great set of instructions for setting it up and calls it a three-hour project.

Next, examine your phone service -- particularly your cell. What kind of user are you? If your phone's for short calls only -- "I'm on my way home now, dear" -- consider a pay-as-you-go plan like ones offered by Virgin Mobile. It has cool phones, and, for a total of $80 per year, you can make those kinds of calls and have peace of mind. It's a big bargain.

Family plans are another possibility. Four people on the same plan will cost about $25 each. Calls at night and during weekends are usually free, so the small prime-time minute allocation goes a long way. You just can't chat endlessly during regular business hours with these plans.

If you are paying more for home phone service than about $50 per month for both unlimited local and long-distance, you're missing the boat.

For those with high-speed Internet service, the cheapest phone option is probably an Internet-based phone service such as Vonage or others offered by cable or phone companies. These aren't subject to the same taxes that wired phone lines are, so for less than $20 a month, you can get 500 minutes of service with lots of features, including voice mail.

There are drawbacks. One is that if your Internet is down, so is your phone.

Sign up for tax-advantaged plans at work
The possibilities include education, health, transportation and child-care savings accounts. If you're in the 25-percent tax bracket, you'll be $500 ahead once you spend $2,000 in pretax dollars on these necessities. If your company doesn't offer these plans, ask for them to be added. It's a cost-free benefit that even the smallest and most cash-strapped employer can offer.

Eat in
Replace one $20 eat-in restaurant meal per week with a large $7 carryout pizza from any of the billions of cheap pizza places in every city. Better yet, buy pizza at the grocery store.

Don't bank on it
Pay credit card bills in full as soon as possible, and take advantage of free bill pay.

The real savings can be had by avoiding credit card debt and paying off what you've accumulated as quickly as possible. For instance, if you owe $4,000 on a card charging you 18 percent interest, and you pay three times the minimum payment every month, or $300, you'll pay off the card in 15 months and spend about $500 in interest. If you spread the cost out and pay $200 per month -- still twice the minimum payment -- you'll pay off the bill in 24 months and pay out $4,800 in total -- $800 in interest. If you can bite the bullet and pay as much as $400 each month, the debt will be gone in less than a year and you'll save between $100 and $700 in interest over the other options.

Saving money doesn't have to take an ugly bite out of your lifestyle. Once you put these strategies in place, you won't feel pinched, because you're not giving up much at all.

This story was reported and written by Jennie L. Phipps for Bankrate.com.

OK now, one of the things my mother is helping me do is declutter some areas of the house that are an "emotional problem" for me. While I was searching for some creative and inexpensive ways to organize, I found this project and instantly fell in love! I was like OMG SUCH CUTENESS! Its a craft that could be done for any room in the house, any age range, any purpose! It's super wonderful! Destri from The Mother Huddle has the GREAT tutorial on today's craft idea! So jump on over there and get sewing on some lovely little baskets!



Craft Idea of the Day: Fabric Basket Organizers

Supplies:

all your sewing stuff
cafe rod, or curtain rod
brackets to hang rod
three 8 x 10 Plexiglas sheets, I bought mine at Home Depot for about $4 a piece, by the window section

Materials:

each basket takes 1 yard of fabric, so I used three for this project.
each basket needs a yard of interfacing, again I used three yards. I used pellon 809 decor bond, but craft bond would work as well.
Fabric Cuts:

From your fabric cut six 18½ x 28 inch pieces, and three 4 x 10 ½ inch pieces. You will then iron them onto you interfacing per it's instructions, and then cut out. Trust me, it's easier than cutting out the pellon and then ironing! As a side note, the ironing is the longest part of this project...if I had a teenager I would have paid top dollar to have them do it, just sayin'!



Well are you ready to start the day right? I think we need to have some BODACIOUS BANANAS for breakfast! That's right! They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and so why not make it healthier when possible. Whether its a grab & go item or a sit down at the table kind of deal... breakfast is the fuel for your day! Just like putting gas in your car... you are fueling up your body for whatever life holds for you, so make it the high octane fuel! LOL! Ya can't trade in for a new one like you can a car (trust me, if ya could I would SO be on a "new every 2 PLAN LMAO)! So here are some more super fun facts about bananas and some great recipes for you to try! Eat & Enjoy!

Here are some more facts about one of the world's most popular fruits:

India is the #1 banana producer in the world.

The most popular banana cultivar in the world is the Cavendish. This is the banana most often seen in U.S. and European markets.

Before Cavendish, Gros Michel was the main banana cultivar exported on a mass, commercial scale. In the mid-20th century, Gros Michel was ravaged by Panama disease and is no longer sold commercially.

Panama disease, or Fusarium wilt, is a fungus that attacks banana plants. It was reported in Australia in the 19th century.

It is believed that the Cavendish, like the Gros Michel, will be devastated by Panama disease within 20 years and will no longer be able to be produced commercially. This would be a difficult blow to the banana industry.

Scientists are trying to develop a hybrid, disease-resistant banana.

Chiquita was initially called the United Fruit Company. In the 20th century, they played a controversial role in the politics of Central America, where they had vast holdings. The company earned the nickname of "The Octopus" in the region because they had their hands in so many political pots.

The CIA-sponsored 1954 coup that overthrew the democratically-elected Guatemalan government headed by Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán is believed to be a direct result of influence by the United Fruit Company, which had an antagonistic relationship with the Arbenz government.

In Uganda, bananas are such a big part of the diet that the same word, matooke, is used for both "food" and "banana."

The pejorative term "banana republic" was coined by American writer O. Henry. He used it in reference to Honduras, but the term became widely used in reference to any Latin American, Caribbean, or African country that was politically unstable, relied heavily on basic agriculture, and was not technologically advanced.

The banana split was invented in 1904 by 23-year-old David Evans Strickler, an employee at the Tassel Pharmacy soda fountain in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

The song "Yes, We Have No Bananas" was released in 1923 and became a huge hit. It refers to the banana shortage at the time.

In 2001, Britain recorded 300 incidents of injuries related to bananas. The majority of these involved people slipping on banana peels.



Dole Fruity Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients

2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons strawberry jam
2 medium DOLE® Bananas

Directions

Place tortillas on baking sheet. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over tortillas.
Broil tortillas 1 minute or until hot and lightly browned.
Spread jam down center of tortillas. Place one banana over center of each tortilla; roll up tortillas.

Benefits
Low Fat, Cholesterol Free, Good Source of Fiber, Good Source of Potassium, Good Source of Vitamin C



Dole Banana Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups DOLE® Pineapple Juice
1 cup vanilla yogurt or frozen yogurt
1 cup DOLE Fresh Raspberries
2 ripe, medium DOLE Bananas, peeled

Directions

Combine pineapple juice, yogurt, raspberries and bananas in blender or food processor. Cover; blend until smooth. Garnish with raspberry and banana slices, if desired. Enjoy!

Benefits
Rich in Fiber, Rich in Potassium, Rich in Vitamin C, Good Source of Calcium



Dole Sunrise Pizza

Ingredients

2 DOLE® Bananas, peeled
4 frozen whole wheat waffles
1/4 cup low fat whipped cream cheese
1 can (11 oz.) DOLE Mandarin Oranges, drained
2 teaspoons honey
Dash ground cinnamon
Fresh raspberries or blueberries (optional)

Directions

Thinly slice bananas on diagonal.

Prepare waffles according to package directions.

Spread waffles with cream cheese. Arrange banana slices on top, overlapping. Arrange mandarin oranges in center of each pizza. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

Benefits
Low Cholesterol, Good Source of Fiber, Good Source of Vitamin A, Rich in Vitamin C

Well folks, I have to get off of here and get ready for my parents to come over. They have been kind enough to help with some projects around the house. You know me and my projects LMAO! And I have to check out the DD's foot... she hurt herself real bad at band practice and now she is limping and all bruised up. Never a dull moment in this house, that's for sure. Hopefully after that I can get some sewing in before DP's arrive! So have fun, be safe, and don't do nothin' I wouldn't do! LMAO... until tomorrow... HUGS!